Firstly - we wanted to say Hi, we are MJJCommunity – Michael Jackson Community, the worlds most active Michael Jackson fan club online, its great to speak with you and we thank you for taking time out of you busy schedule to talk to us.

About you

MJJC - Can you tell us who you are and what your relation is to the Jackson family?

LaToya - I've been really working on my Purse line and networking with the Jackson Fans trying to stay tuned in social media before i display the main brand. You can follow me on Security Check Required to get your purse made

MJJC - We heard that you are working on a new clothing line amongst other things. As well that you are recruiting people to work for you, can you let us know what you have planned and how can they get in contact with you when they are interested?

LaToya - Again they can Contact me at Security Check Required or on instagram @LajasLaToyaJackson or on twitter @LajasLatoyaJax

MJJC - Who or what is your biggest inspiration in it all and why?

LaToya - My Biggest Inspiration are my Kids they help me work harder each day and remind myself how important life is

The Family

MJJC - Firstly and most importantly there have been rumours that your uncle Joseph Jackson has not been doing to well, we know the media is not a reliable source when it comes to the things they write about your family. Is there anything you can and want to tell us about that to put the fans minds at rest?

LaToya - Of course Uncle Joseph has had problems and he is getting older but he is a fighter and i know he well be okay and get back to his regular ways.

MJJC - What was it like growing up in the Jackson family can you tell us what it was like, your happenings and goings on in one of the worlds most famous families?

LaToya - It's a lot of work being a Jackson! No privacy and you can't really tell who wants to be around you for you but the good thing is Michael and the Family have provided a way for us to make away for our children's children Children's lol. So its a wonderful thing. We spread unity

MJJC - What is your most favourite memory?

LaToya - My favorite memory is Michael telling me how strong i am and would be to make a change in the world

About Michael

MJJC - We know that he was always quite the prankster with people, did Michael ever play any jokes/pranks on you?

LaToya - No jokes or pranks at all he didn't have time for himself he was serious about his family.

MJJC - And did you ever get to prank him back?

LaToya - I thought about pranking him but never did it lol

MJJC - What is your most favourite memory that you have of him?

LaToya - when i went to Neverland and he sat for our talent show to see the family perform. He stayed for the whole talent show

MJJC - Is there anything that we do not know about Michael that you would love to share with us?

LaToya - His voice was really deeper lol. His soft voice was his signature

MJJC - If ever what is the best advice or anything specific that Michael ever has given to you?

LaToya - Be Yourself

About Peter Midani AKA Bobby Anderson

MJJC -Are you and your family aware that there are people like this Peter Midani pretending to be your cousin Michael even duping fans who think so?

LaToya - Peter Midani aka Bobby Anderson is a Fraud and the world needs to know. My Cousin Michael would not be on social media all day talking to all these fans and letting people know about his where abouts. Secondly He sounds nothing like my Michael

MJJC - As said above one of the key offenders is a person who’s real name is Bobby Anderson yet calls himself Peter Midani which is strategic in his efforts as Michael did used to use that name to protect his privacy, this person even goes to the lengths too fool fans to believe that he is Michael by posting videos online making his voice sound like him even scouring the internet to post certain types of pictures to make fans think he is Michael, with the fans well being in mind and obvious what do you think and have to say about that?

LaToya - I would like a end put to this man and if he continues to be sued for misleading my Cousins fans and lying to them. This is a crime in it's self and i will get very involved with it. My lawyers will be getting very involved in this matter now that I'm aware of whats going on.

MJJC - Based on the above what advice would you give to Michael's and the Jackson family's fans worldwide who are subject to people like Bobby Anderson AKA Peter Midani?

LaToya - You have Finally heard it from a True Jackson Family Members Mouth Bobby Anderson aka Peter Midani is not Michael or any of these other pages on Facebook. Snap back into reality people he would not Mislead you and hurt you about leaving the world to get on the internet and play games.

Lastly

MJJC - What would you like to say to the members of MJJCommunity and the fans in general worldwide?

LaToya - I'm very happy to reach out to fans and MJJCommunity and I love you all stay in touch.

AUTHORS OF REMEMBER THE TIME: PROTECTING MICHAEL JACKSON IN HIS FINAL DAYS

MJJC: What made you want to write a book?

Bill & Javon: We wrote Remember the Time because we had a story to tell about the Michael Jackson we knew. If you’re a Michael Jackson fan and supporter, you deserve to know him more on a personal side, not just who he was but what he endured as a man, and as a father. You deserve a true account from those that were there, not from those who can only repeat what they heard second hand.

We wrestled a long time with whether or not was should write a book. Fundamentally, we agree with those who say Mr. Jackson deserves his privacy and deserves to rest in peace. But ultimately we came to the conclusion that his fans deserve to know and, hopefully, in some way it will bring closure to some and truth to others. We also felt an obligation to tell the world about our time with Mr. Jackson because there really is no one else to tell this part of the story. During the time Mr. Jackson spent in Las Vegas, between his return from Ireland and the start of “This Is It,” there simply weren’t a lot of people around. Very often the only people there were us, Mr. Jackson, and the three

children. Mr. Jackson has been robbed of the opportunity to tell his own story, and the children were too young to really know a lot of what was going on at the time. That leaves us. If the world ever wants to fully understand what happened to this beloved and incredible man, this is a story that needs to be told. We already know how Michael Jackson died. Our aim is to help people understand why.

MJJC: How long did it take you to write the book? Was it a challenge putting the experience of protecting Michael Jackson into words? Please tell us about this experience.

Bill & Javon: The longest and hardest part of the process was finding the right publisher who understood our approach and our philosophy. When he was alive, Mr. Jackson’s world was full of vultures looking to take advantage of him in every way possible. We saw that with him and we saw it again after he passed away, in the way people approached us about our story. There was a long, on and off process of interviewing possible collaborators, close to two years. Once we found the right partners, people that we trusted and felt comfortable with, the actual writing of the book actually took about a year. We spent several days sitting down, reminiscing and just telling our story, and then over the next several months, spent hours on the phone going over chapters, making edits, and so forth.

In the beginning, it was difficult talking about our experiences. Often times it made us angry, thinking, “Was there more we could have done?” It was also painful to relive some of the bad things that happened to him. He was not at peace a lot of the time, because of how bad he was portrayed in the media, because there were so many people he couldn’t trust. We always wanted to shield him from it, but there were some things you just couldn’t control. But the more we wrote and relived the moments we shared with Mr. Jackson, the more we knew we were doing the right thing.

MJJC: Most books about Michael are written with lots of sensationalism. Yours is not. Why is that, and why have you taken the approach of a general spoken account?

Bill & Javon: Sensationalism was the opposite of what we wanted to write. First of all, our time with Mr. Jackson was not “sensational” in either a good way or a bad way. There were no big tabloid scandals, but there weren’t any sold-out stadium concerts, either. Most of our two and a half years with Mr. Jackson were a quiet time when he was focused almost entirely on raising his children and giving them a home. There was a lot of tension and drama going on with his family and with his business affairs, but no big spectacle, so telling our story is an opportunity to see who the man really was away from the cameras.

We always tell people we didn’t work for the King of Pop. We worked for Michael Jackson. Those were two different people. It was only at the very end, when the machinery of This Is It started winding up in Los Angeles, that we saw the tabloid spectacle take over, and not in a healthy way. But we were not a direct party to that. We stayed in Vegas, handling some of Mr. Jackson’s business there, and we were slated to rejoin him in London to handle security on the estate he was going to rent.

We chose to tell the story in the way we did, through our own personal, conversational voices, to give readers the sense of being there as things happened. A lot of what you read about Michael Jackson either puts him on a pedestal or throws him in the gutter. We wanted a book that gave Mr. Jackson his proper respect and honored his legacy, but also a book that was down to earth and showed him as a real, everyday person, because that’s what most people misunderstand about him. The tabloids always wanted to paint him as some kind of cartoon, but behind the King of Pop spectacle there was a real human being who was full of great love and generosity, but who also suffered from pain and loneliness. We wanted to show the world that real human being, because Michael Jackson deserves to be treated like a person.

We also chose to tell the story from our own point of view in order to avoid all the second-hand speculation and the recycling of tabloid stories that other Michael Jackson books always rely on. Given the way the media treated Mr. Jackson’s life, to this day we don’t really trust anything written about him that we didn’t witness first-hand. Other than referencing well-documented information about Mr. Jackson’s past (like how many albums Thriller sold) and using some basic facts established in public records (like how the mortgage on Neverland was handled) the book is strictly an account of what we saw and heard and what our reactions and feelings were. We wanted it to be as honest and real as possible.

MJJC: Lots of people from Michael’s past have used knowing/working with him to make money. Can you tell us if that was your motivation for writing this book?

Bill & Javon: Money was and never has been our motivation. We turned down cash offers from tabloids that wanted us to dish dirt on the more scandalous elements of Mr. Jackson’s life. (We didn’t actually have much dirt to give them, because that’s not the man that we knew.) As we discuss in the intro to the book, we did not sell this for a huge advance to a big publisher looking for tabloid secrets. We went with a small publisher who was willing to pay a modest advance to take a chance on the kind of book we wanted to write. We also did not take any of the upfront money ourselves. We invested it in making sure Mr. Jackson’s story was done well. We paid most of it to a writer, Tanner Colby, a New York Times bestselling author, who we felt would handle the story with the respect it deserves. The rest of it went to cover various expenses, like travel to meet with our editors and so forth. The only way we will make money from this book is on the back end. If you, the fans, decide that we have done a good job and this is a book you choose to support, that will be our reward.

MJJC: What was your opinion of Michael before you started working for him? Did your opinions change after working for him?

Bill & Javon: Both of us were always huge fans of Michael even before working for him. Bill still has all the old 45 singles from growing up with the Jackson 5. Javon literally had “Smooth Criminal” set up as his ringtone when he got the call to come and work for Mr. Jackson. Neither of us ever believed the allegations made against him, or any of the other crazy things printed in the media. He always seemed so sweet and soft spoken, like he couldn't hurt a fly.

Unfortunately, as with many celebrities whose lives are distorted by the tabloids, you don’t believe what’s being said but you you don’t have the personal knowledge to say different. So when we were given the opportunity to work for him, we paid more attention to him and his actions and we saw things that validated what we’d always wanted to believe about him. We saw how much of a hands-on father he was, how he cared so much for the less fortunate. So, our opinions of him didn’t really change, but it was nice to learn that that the Michael Jackson we supported as fans was not the Michael Jackson that had been reported in the media.

MJJC: Did Michael have a favorite radio station/songs to listen to while in the car/SUV?

Bill & Javon: Mr. Jackson only listened to classical music in the car. Sometimes, if one of us had the radio on an R&B station, he’d ask us to leave it, but otherwise it was pretty much always classical—with one exception. There was one song that happen to come on the radio, and after hearing it he had us go to Best Buy and purchase it for him. Then he played it over and over again in the car, singing along in the backseat—and he sang that song with conviciton. It was song that really spoke to him and the challenges he was dealing with. But for that you have to read the book.

MJJC: Did Michael ever invite fans inside his home to hang out?

Bill & Javon: Mr. Jackson often invited fans in to visit at Neverland, but the houses he rented in Las Vegas were not the same. They were not homes he wanted to show off and entertain in. They were just places to stay, really. So we never had the fans come inside. Most of the time we spent visiting with the fans was in the car, on the way in and out of the house. We’d always stop and he’d say hello and chat for a bit.

While living in Las Vegas, Mr. Jackson was looking for a new limousine, and one summer evening we arranged for him to take a test drive in an SUV stretch limousine. The vehicle seated sixteen people. As we pulled out from the driveway, there were about five fans sitting outside the gate. Mr. Jackson directed the driver to stop the vehicle, he rolled the window down, and asked the fans if they wanted to go for a ride. Then he opened the door and they jumped in. We drove around for about 45 minutes, and Mr. Jackson and his fans just casually chatted. As nerve racking as it was for us as security, all went well. He loved it and so did they.

MJJC: Did you ever hear Michael talk without his falsetto?

Bill & Javon: No. Mr. Jackson always spoke in the same quiet, soft-spoken voice he used in public.

MJJC: Michael loved reading a lot. As far as you know, did he like novels or did he prefer to read autobiographies or books that tell real stories? If he preferred novels, what was his favorite genre?

Bill & Javon: Mr. Jackson read just about anything he could get his hands on. We were constantly taking trips to Barnes & Noble, dropping five, ten thousand dollars on books in a single night. If there was a particular preference he had, we couldn’t say. If there was one book we saw him reading most frequently, it would be the Bible.

MJJC: Can you tell us the differences between the public Michael and the private Michael?

Bill & Javon: The public Michael Jackson was an entertainer. The private Michael Jackson was a father, a son. The public Michael was very image conscious. When he knew he was going somewhere and there were going to be a lot of cameras, he would fly in his hairstylist and get a one-of-a-kind outfit made by a top designer. He would spend 4 to 5 hours just preparing himself for the cameras and the bright lights. The private Michael just loved being with his kids, watching movies, eating popcorn, and walking around the house in pajamas without a care in the world.

MJJC: Can you describe a typical day in the life of Michael Jackson?

Bill & Javon: The business side of Mr. Jackson’s life was an ongoing machine. Through his management and his legal representatives, his days were often pre-scheduled with conference calls and meetings. Each day an itinerary was prepared for Mr. Jackson of where he needed to be, who he needed to talk to. Sometimes he followed the schedule the the letter, and other times he said the hell with schedule and he did whatever he wanted to do.

MJJC: In protecting Michael, what was the scariest thing you saw him do that caused you to worry about his safety?

Bill & Javon: To be honest, in the beginning the biggest challenge was you guys: the fans. As with every celebrity we’ve worked for, it’s always about keeping the fans and the crowds at arm’s length. Everybody is a potential threat. Of course, Mr. Jackson’s relationship with his fans was different. He’d roll the car window down and wave people over to chat, to hang out. Being security, our natural instinct was to try and get in between to act as a buffer, but Mr. Jackson would always wave us aside and say, “Be nice to my fans. They’d never let anything happen to me.” He knew that his fans were his greatest supporters and protectors.

Other than that, because of his children’s safety, Mr. Jackson was hyper vigilant about security. Having been one of the most famous men on Earth his whole life, he knew everything there is to know about personal protection and privacy, so it was rare he put himself in any kind of dangerous situation. He was mindful of the fan who shot and killed John Lennon. He knew some people were overly obsessed with him and he was afraid of someone using their being a fan to get close enough to harm him. So Mr. Jackson may have let his guard down to be close to his fans, but as his security team we never did.

MJJC: How did Michael cope with all the tabloid trash that was written about him? How computer savvy was Michael? Did he use the internet often? What websites did he visit? Were his children allowed to use the television or the Internet?

Bill & Javon: He didn’t cope with it. He refused to. He shut it completely out of his life. He didn’t want his children exposed to it. Since various talk show hosts still mocked and joked about him, there was no broadcast or cable TV in that house. They only watched movies and shows on DVD. The only newspapers he read regularly were the Wall Street Journal and the Robb Report, because neither of those have tabloid news in them. Whenever we went to newsstands and bookstores, his managers would let us know if any current newspaper or magazine was saying negative things about him. If there were, one of us would go in advance to remove all those issues from the racks. For the same reason, he never went on the Internet and never allowed the children on it unless they were monitored. The only web surfing he did was a few times after Bill showed him how to shop and bid on eBay for collectable items.

Having cut himself off from the media, one of Mr. Jackson’s primary “news” outlets was you, his fans. He read every single letter he received; we’d take him on long drives and he’d sit in the back and go through the mail. He’d get letters from people telling about their personal experiences in China, in the Middle East, from all over the world. They gave him suggestions on what he should sing about. Those letters were his inspiration and his connection to the outside world.

MJJC: Tell us a little more about Michael's relationship with his kids. How did Michael discipline his children?

Bill & Javon: It won’t come as any surprise to MJJCommunity members that Mr. Jackson was a kind and loving father. What people may not know is just how attentive and engaged he was in every single aspect of their upbringing. He was up on all the state-mandated homeschooling requirements, and he sat down every week with the school teacher to go over her lesson plans, making sure the kids were meeting and exceeding all the necessary goals. If we left the house and it was cold out and Blanket didn’t have his hat and mittens, we’d get a call, “Come back to the house. You forgot the mittens.” He was present for everything, in every way. It’s safe to say that being a father was the most important thing in Mr. Jackson’s life at that point, more than recording, performing, you name it. The kids came first no matter what.

To be honest, Mr. Jackson didn’t have to discipline the children very often. For the most part, they were very well-behaved, very courteous, always “please” and “thank you” for everything. Blanket was the wild card, the rebel. When one of them did misbehave, or if one of them did poorly on a school assignment, he might sit them down and give them the responsibility talk, or he might take away some of their privileges, like canceling a movie night or something like that. But even that was rare. He was an excellent father and he raised those three kids with good character and good values, and you can see that in the way they’ve dealt with the enormous pressures that have been put on them since he passed away.

MJJC: Did Michael ever go to nightclubs while living in Vegas?

Bill & Javon: In Vegas, Mr. Jackson was very focused on being a father, helping the kids with their homework every night and being up early to make them breakfast and get them dressed for school in the morning. So there weren’t a lot of big nights out. We went to one Prince concert on the Strip, and Mr. Jackson declined an invitation to go backstage and talk with Prince. It was late and his kids were still up, and he knew they wouldn’t go to sleep until he got home. So we took him straight home.

We did go to one nightclub when he was staying at the Palms in January of 2008. Mr. Jackson just wanted to hang out and do some people watching. This club had a VIP balcony that overlooked the crowd, so we set it up for him to go down there. We were in the club for maybe two to three minutes when the deejay started playing one of his songs; they were mixing it, cutting it together with a bunch of other tunes. Mr. Jackson was bopping his head along, and he said, “Wow, I didn’t know that they still played my music.”

We were like, what?! We told him, “Sir, they still play your music all the time. In bars, clubs, everywhere.”

He said, “Really?”

He seemed surprised. He’d been out of the spotlight and beaten up by the tabloids for so long, at that point that he was really worried that maybe the world had moved on, that he wasn’t as popular anymore. It really made him happy to hear his songs in the club like that.

MJJC: What was the happiest you saw him? What was the saddest?

Bill & Javon: The happiest we ever saw him was during the quiet, simple moments, like when we’d sneak him and the kids into the movies so he could see a big action movie on opening day and enjoy it with a big audience like a regular family, or during the months we spent in Virginia, when he and his kids stayed in this house with a huge backyard. From a distance you could see the four of them running around the house, playing and laughing. It was good hearing him laugh. He did so loudly, too.

The saddest we ever saw him, hands down, was when his brother Randy crashed through the front gate with his car and sat in the driveway, demanding money, ruining Mr. Jackson’s chance to attend Elizabeth Taylor’s birthday party. You have to read the book to get the whole story, but after that happened, Mr. Jackson disappeared into his room and we didn’t see or hear from him for three days.

MJJC: Did Michael ever teach you the moonwalk?

Bill & Javon: He never showed us how to moonwalk, but he did tell us how he did the lean in on “Smooth Criminal.” Amazing!

MJJC: Who in your opinion was a really good friend of Michael’s? Who stood by him through good and bad? Who was the person Michael spoke to most often on the phone?

Bill & Javon: Mr. Jackson’s mother was probably the only one who unselfishly stood by him through all the madness. There were those like Miko Brando, Chris Tucker, Eddie Griffin and Rev. Jesse Jackson that visited him a few times, and their friendships appeared to be genuine, but it was his relationship with his mother that he cherished and valued most.

MJJC: Did Michael tell jokes?

Bill & Javon: Mr. Jackson had a great sense of humor. He would often joke and laugh with his kids and with us. We definitely made an effort to capture that in the book, because a lot of what’s written about him doesn’t show that wonderful side of him.

MJJC: Was there ever a time when you saw Michael get particularly angry for one reason or another? Can you tell us about a time when he lost his temper?

Bill & Javon: Mr. Jackson was famously non-confrontational. He didn’t like conflict, but given the way he was treated by the paparazzi and some people in the industry, he had a lot to be angry about. Sometimes it would come out. Most of the time, we worked for the sweet, gentle man who sang “Heal the World,” but every now and then we’d see the guy from “Scream.”

One afternoon in the spring of 2007, Mr. Jackson was on Bill’s cell phone for a conference call with his manager and his lawyer. We heard a loud crash in the security trailer and ran around to the kitchen to see that he’d hurled the phone through the plate glass door, shattering it into a thousand pieces. He had his head in his hands, saying, “They’re all devils. I should have my father come and kick their asses.” Then he offered to buy Bill a new cell phone.

There was one other occasion, in Washington, DC, when Mr. Jackson saw a security camera that he thought was taking secret video footage of his children. “Lost his temper” doesn’t begin to describe his reaction, but for that you’ll need to read the book.

MJJC: How often did Friend and Flower visit Michael? Have you heard from either of them since the memorial?

Bill & Javon: Friend and Flower only visited while we were staying in Virgina, and separately of course. Since the memorial, Bill has occasionally communicated with Flower via email, usually around the anniversary of Mr. Jackson’s passing or on his birthday.

MJJC: Did he appear healthy/ready for the This Is It concert? Was he scared? Apprehensive? Didn’t want to do it but had to commit?

Bill & Javon: For the most part, Mr. Jackson always appeared in good health, but he often mentioned that he wasn’t up for the same kind of rigorous, athletic performances he gave during the Bad and Dangerous tours. He was fifty years old, and some of those years were pretty rough on him. His voice was in great shape, as amazing as ever, but these promoters were making physical demands that he knew he couldn’t live up to. When the idea was floated of doing fifty shows, we heard him on the phone saying, “I can’t do fifty shows.” He said it like these people were crazy even for asking him to do it. But whatever was going on with his business affairs, he’d been backed into a corner where he was being told he had no choice. It was not something he did with great enthusiasm.

MJJC: You said you spoke with Michael just before he died. Did he seem happy? Can you talk about your last phone call with him? What is the last thing that Michael said to you?

Bill & Javon: Our last conversations with Mr. Jackson were just brief calls about everyday, work-related matters. Nothing terribly significant was said, because nobody knew what was going to happen. Javon’s last conversation with Mr. Jackson was several weeks before he passed; Mr. Jackson called to check up on some things he had in storage in Las Vegas and asked how Javon’s family was doing, which he always did. Bill’s last conversation with Mr. Jackson came a few days before his passing. He seemed to be in good spirits. We were in Vegas, working on plans for security at the London estate, and Mr. Jackson called because he said he wanted us in LA and wanted to make arrangements for us to get there. We didn’t get to LA in time.

MJJC: What do you miss most about him?

Bill & Javon: We mostly miss the quiet, simple moments, just watching him enjoy life as a father, like watching him trying to comb Paris’s hair and not doing it that well, or telling Blanket not to wander off, or helping Prince and Paris with their little sibling spats. We also miss taking long rides with him and just talking about whatever came up. He’d ask us to turn the radio down and he’d ask us about our families and how our kids were doing. We’d see a girl walking up the street and he’d ask if we thought she was cute and if we said she wasn’t our type he’d say we needed glasses ‘cause she was fine. We also miss the excitement of being around him and never knowing what the day would bring.

MJJC: Finally, is there any message you want to send to the members of MJJCommunity and Michael Jackson fans in general?

Bill & Javon: The fans should know that, other than Mr. Jackson’s mother and his children, they were the number one priority in his life. He always cherished the support they gave him through all the ups and downs, and he loved them for never turning their back on him. He always knew that without the fans, there would be no King of Pop. He owed it all to you. And we owe you, too. As stated in the book, there would be no book without the support and love of Mr. Jackson’s fans. We wrote Remember the Time for you. It feels good knowing we are supported, and without you none of this would have been possible. Much love to all of Mr. Jackson’s fans and supporters.

Remember the Time: Protecting Michael Jackson in His Final Days is on sale June 3rd in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It will be available in India on June 15th.

Brad Sundberg was technical director to Michael Jackson for nearly two decades. He recently announced a series of seminars to take place this June in New York called "In The Studio with Michael Jackson" ( thread here: http://www.mjjcommunity.com/forum/th...ichael-Jackson)

We reached out to Brad Sundberg to talk about Michael's music as well as talk about his ""In The Studio With Michael Jackson" seminars. You can read his answers below. Also check the end of Q&A for information about seminars and how to get tickets to them.

MJJC: What exactly is the job of a technical director and what did this position entail, as you worked in this role on some of the MJ albums?

Brad Sundberg: There is the short answer and the long answer. The short answer is “be ready for anything.” The long answer would go something like this: My responsibility was to have whatever recording studio we worked in, anywhere in the world, be up to Michael Jackson quality. I worked very closely with Bruce Swedien (not just on MJ albums, but also Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand, among others), and his attention to detail is second-to-none. Every microphone, every patch-point, every machine and device in the studio had to tested and (if possible) calibrated to perfection. It was not uncommon for this process alone to take 1-2 weeks before the projecting would even start. The funny thing is that so few production teams do this, yet it is a vital part of the reason our projects sounded so good.

Additionally, I would be involved in day-to-day recording, setting up microphones, headphones, booking studios, keeping tapes organized, getting Michael’s hot water ready for his vocals, transcribing Michael’s lyrics for the liner notes, even making coffee! With various production teams working on the same project, it made for long yet very rewarding days. The hard work and dedication was also very rewarding in that I was privileged to see and be a part of so much musical history being created.

MJJC: Were you a fan of Michael's before you started working on his team back in the Captain EO days?

Brad Sundberg: As I kid growing up in Santa Cruz, CA in the 70s, I listened to a lot of music: Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, etc., but I also loved dance music like Abba, The BeeGees, Gloria Gaynor, Blondie, Donna Summer and of course Michael Jackson. I found myself sort of “dissecting” songs as I listened to them, because I wanted to understand every sound, every reverb and effect. I played the “Thriller” album until it was scratched and worn out, so I bought another copy. The depth of sound blew me away, even before I understood recording. Yes, I was a fan.

MJJC: What are your top 3 favorite songs from Michael and why?

Brad Sundberg: That’s a tough one, but here goes:

1) Human Nature. I have always loved that song, and my friend Steve Porcaro knows it. We recorded a follow-up to it called “Someone Put Your Hand Out,” but it didn’t quite make the “Dangerous” album.

2) Smooth Criminal. The bass line, the groove, David Williams insane rhythm guitar, Jerry Hey’s horn section, Quincy directing this who’s-who of musicians and Michael front and center… it’s an amazing piece of work! I wish you could have been there.

3) Lady In My Life. It was never a single, but what a record. Speaking from a technical standpoint, it is like a 5-minute recording class. Every sound is pure and simple. From a musical standpoint, I am a huge fan of Rod Temperton. I have worked with Rod for years, and he is pure genius. Beautiful song.

4) I know, you only asked for 3, but I’m feeling generous. Streetwalker. This is the little engine that could. That song blew me away every time I heard it, but Quincy didn't like it. I remember driving home from the studio one night after Michael recorded the lead vocal, and I was listening to it in my car, with the sunroof open at like 3 in the morning. I nearly blew the speakers out, singing along at the top of my lungs. It may not be the most well-crafted songwriting, but that groove grabs you and will not let you go.

It isn't fair to have a list than doesn't include Will You Be There, Who Is It, Earth Song, Stranger In Moscow, Billie Jean, Startin’ Something, She’s Out Of My Life, Jam, etc. I never was good at following the rules.

MJJC: You said Michael commissioned you to bring music to virtually every corner of Neverland. What kind of music was played on the grounds of Neverland? What types of music was on the playlists that Michael created for those particular areas of the ranch?

Brad Sundberg: I don’t want to give too much away, but there was one unbreakable rule at Neverland: Michael would not allow his music to be played, despite my protests. But he was the boss, so his vote was stronger than mine.

The grounds (around the lake, main house, guest houses, etc.) played a custom playlist of classical and Disney favorites. In the amusement park he selected songs by Janet, Yes and Joe Satriani. Seriously. Even some Van Halen and Led Zeppelin was selected on certain rides. In the horse area and petting zoo behind the amusement park we went with more traditional cowboy music. The trains also played primarily classical music.

MJJC: Of all the songs that you worked on with MJ in the studio, what was your favorite? Or what song had a creative process, from the demos to the finished song, that was impressive and just blew you away?

Brad Sundberg: Another tough one, because there are so many. I think I will go with Man In The Mirror. I was still learning my way around the studio, and it was an honor to be asked to sit in and watch, learn and help on the Bad album.

Man in the Mirror was such a big song, such a huge production we all knew it was unstoppable. I was able to see the initial track being recorded, the various musicians bringing their talents, the layers of vocal harmonies, the Andre Crouch choir, and finally the commanding lead vocals with Siedah and Michael. There was so much talent in Westlake Studio D during that time that it was mind-blowing. Bruce and Michael would play that song at full, and I mean full volume (118 db) to any guest that stopped by. People would be speechless, sometimes teary, when the final note rung out.

MJJC: Can you tell us in detail exactly how the demo process was? What would MJ say to you after playing his ideas and how involved were the rest of you besides MJ; did you just do everything he said or was it collaboration with him listening to your input ideas with the arrangements?

Brad Sundberg: There was no regular or exact way the demos came to be, but it was not uncommon for Michael to ask one of us to work with him after a session on a new song.

We would bring in a keyboard player/programmer (John Barnes, Michael Boddicker, Larry Williams, Rhett Lawrence, Brad Buxer) and Michael would sing the groove and rhythm tracks to us. The programmer would translate Michael’s request into the drum machine. The bass and melody line would be added. Usually we would record a scratch vocal, and some harmony vocals, just for reference. The whole process might take 3 or 4 hours, and the song was born. It was very collaborative, and many ideas were accepted and recorded. Not every idea was kept and used, but it was very much a group effort of kicking around ideas and trying them out.

MJJC: If you could describe the most difficult aspect on working as part of the production team on a Michael Jackson album- what would it be?

Brad Sundberg: SLEEP!!! The hours were rough, as I would typically be at the studio 2 hours before anyone else, and quite often 2-3 hours after everyone left. My day usually started around 9-10 am, and often lasted until 2 am, and I lived about 40 minutes from the studio. That’s not bad for a few days, but try it for 10 -14 months. Still, I honestly loved going to work. Once in the studio, the teams were great to work with. Good food, beautiful studios, great music, incredible talent – I didn't have a lot to complain about.

MJJC: Which project during your time working with Michael, would you say has impacted your career the most?

Brad Sundberg: Dangerous. It was a transitional time for me. I was running my installation business BSUN Media Systems (which I really enjoy), and working in the studio at the same time. Quincy was not part of the project, which felt odd. The music industry and what the public was listening to was changing, so Michael used three production teams on the project, which was brilliant.

On a technical level, we were making and breaking all of the rules with more tracks, more studios, bigger mixes, etc. I think the song Jam was something like 160 tracks on 4-tape machines, which had to mixed on 2 consoles in 2 studios at the same time. It was nuts, but we made it happen. I suppose I would say it impacted my career (both in and out of the studio) in terms of not being afraid to try anything, and push for perfection all the time.

MJJC: Over the years, working on the albums from Bad to Blood on the Dance Floor, how did MJ mature or change? How did he improve?

Brad Sundberg: During Captain Eo he was still almost a kid, just 5 years older than me. I can honestly say that his humor, his level of trust, his commitment to excellence, and his love of performing and creating didn't change or diminish, if anything it blossomed with age. I think in the later albums he started experimenting with songs and sounds like Morphine and Ghosts. Darker themes, but great grooves.

MJJC: How did MJ work in the album selection stages, how did he choose the songs for his albums? Do you have some inside info about what and why the songs we know got chosen and not the ones that weren't? And are there any good examples of songs that almost made the cut on any album that we haven`t heard that you thought could have been a super hit today?

Brad Sundberg: The infamous cork board!! On every album I recall, he would have a cork-board on an easel in his lounge/office. Every song title was written on a 3 x 5 index card, and they would be tacked to the board, in order of strongest to weakest. These would move around on the board as new parts were added, new songs recorded, etc. Generally, depending on the project, this was Quincy/Michael/Bruce driven. Once the 15 or songs would be chosen, the board was used more for song-order on the album.

As for songs that almost made it: My personal favorites were Streetwalker, Someone Put Your Hand Out, and Monkey Business.

MJJC: Do you remember any of Michael's songs that remain unreleased to this day and if yes, which ones are your favorites? Can you tell us a little about these unreleased songs?

Brad Sundberg: Sorry – I know many songs, but I am going to pass on that one.

MJJC: How good was Michael at operating the buttons and stuff in the studio, would he get more into that after you worked with him for some years?

Brad Sundberg: Michael was not technical at all. Zero! He might nudge a fader now and then, but he was not adjusting EQs or reverb settings. That said, I do think the studio was so comfortable for him, almost like going home. It was very safe and a place he could just work, laugh and be himself.

MJJC: How many instruments could MJ really play? Which instruments were those and how good was he? (Honestly)

Brad Sundberg: He could play melodies on a keyboard, but I wouldn't call him a great player. Keep in mind when you have Greg Phillinganes and Randy Kerber on speed-dial, you don’t really need much more. Before my time he played the bottle-sound percussion on “Don’t Stop.” Michael’s instrument was his voice – we had plenty of talent to handle everything else.

MJJC: What did your tour prep for MJ's tours consist of?

Brad Sundberg: Tour prep was the time after the album was released (or in pressing), and the band was in rehearsals. Essentially we had to re-work the songs to make them easier for Michael to sing and perform them show after show. This is something I go into considerable detail discussing in my seminars.

MJJC: Please tell us more about “Keep the Faith” and how you had to scrap the original version and re-record a new version in an all-night session?

Brad Sundberg: Sorry I need to pass on that one for now, as it is one that I dig into in the seminar. I can’t give too much away! : )

MJJC: We would love to hear a story based on personal experience working with MJ. What is one of your most memorable?

Brad Sundberg: He was remarkably curious, and loved my daughters. When my daughter Amanda was just a toddler, my wife Debbie would bring her into the studio (during Dangerous) so we could see each other once in a while. Michael would be on the floor with Amanda, on her blanket, playing with toys and characters. He would say, “She’s in her own little world isn’t she?”

Another time we delivered one of the trains to the ranch. I had been installing a huge music system on the train, so it would be ready when Michael first saw it. He was beyond excited, laughing and smiling as we got it fired up. Deb and Amanda were at the ranch that day, and he held Amanda’s hand as the train made its inaugural circle around the ranch. He could not stop smiling.

MJJC: What is the fondest memory that you have of Michael (as a human being, not as an artist?)

Brad Sundberg: Make-A-Wish Foundation. When Neverland was ready for guests, we would start seeing guests from all over the world, who wanted to spend time with Michael. Many of these young guests were part of the Make-A-Wish program, and they were gravely ill. For Michael to take them on a tour a ranch, let them touch a giraffe or ride on the Ferris Wheel goes way beyond what many people are willing to do. This was their final wish, and he was making it happen. I remember their faces, their grateful parents, and knowing that there would be immeasurable grief in their future. Michael was giving of his time, which was a huge gift.

MJJC: Did Michael play some pranks on you? Any funny story that you can tell us?

Brad Sundberg: It isn’t really a prank, but there is a funny memory I sometimes share. I have zero dance skills, yet I love dance music. It was very common for us to be working on a song like The Way You Make Me Feel, Jam, Bad, Streetwalker, etc., and I would be doing a head-bob to the beat. Michael would burst out laughing, saying “Brad is groovin’!,” I couldn’t’ help it… the music was so strong! This was part of the reason he started calling me “Really Really Brad.” I loved his teasing, because he was so good-natured and light-hearted.

MJJC: In your memoir you say, "I could write page after page of simple acts of kindness I have seen firsthand." Can you remember a few? It's always warms fans' hearts to hear such stories.

Brad Sundberg: I already mentioned the Make-A-Wish visits on the ranch, but we also had visits in the studio from his friends and fans. We had some fans outside of the studio in New York during HIStory, and he brought them in a for a tour and some autographs. During the recording of a kid’s choir in New York, he had me dress as Santa and we gave them all Christmas gifts. When one of our assistant engineers was going in major surgery, we had a huge family dinner in the studio in his honor, and Michael showered him with gifts and movies. But again, he did these things in person, which made it all the more meaningful.

MJJC: How did Michael change over the years, according to your impression? (I don't mean physically, or his alleged "eccentricities". I mean in your personal communication with him what kind of changes in his character did you feel?)

Brad Sundberg: I was not his best friend, but I like to think I was a trusted friend. During those years I did not see any change in his character, in his child-like love of music, movies, fantasy, architecture, paintings, games, laughter, nature, etc. I don’t remember a single time of him walking into the studio or seeing him at the ranch or on stage at Radio City Music Hall where he didn't greet me with a hug. The Michael I knew didn’t change, even as the world did.

MJJC: What has inspired you to come forward and share your experiences working with Michael, with his fans?

Brad Sundberg: After Michael died, I read an article in a magazine about how crazy it was working with Michael: Chimps and Elephant-Man bones and snakes and so on. I didn’t know the author, nor had he ever been to the studio or the ranch. It was always un-named sources and tabloid vomit. I got tired of the press and people who wanted to make a quick buck saying and writing whatever they wanted, with no shred of truth behind their words. I wrote a few articles about my years with Michael, and they were well-received.

A group of fans in Paris approached me and asked me to put together a seminar and really explore our years in the studio and at the ranch. I began writing a book (currently in the works), which tries to recap a story that took 18 years to live. Being totally honest, I want to try to document what it was like to work with one of the most unique entertainers in modern history. No speculation, no deep theories, just an introduction to someone I had great respect for and considered a friend. Yes, it might be for the fans, but it is also for my kids, and maybe Michael’s kids. I want them to know what it was like to be there, and to be part of such an amazing journey.

MJJC: What can fans hope to walk away with from your "In the Studio with Michael Jackson” seminars? What will be the highlights of the seminars in NYC and in Paris?

Brad Sundberg: I am hoping the above answers give you a clue. I was part of something very special. I wasn’t special, I was just part of an amazing team, at an amazing time. No two seminars are exactly alike. New memories surface, new stories are told. I hope when someone leaves the room after the seminar, they feel as though I have introduced them to a friend.

MJJC: Michael has fans in everywhere and unfortunately despite the desire to attend, many fans will not be able going to seminar because of the distance, are there plans to share the content in a book or do other seminars at different locations around the world?

Brad Sundberg: Yes, and yes! The book is in the works, but the crazy thing is that the seminars actually help bring those memories back into focus, so I want to do a few more before the book is finished. We are offering seminars in New York and Paris this year, with groups in Germany, Norway and the UK also expressing great interest. I hope to have a really cool one in LA in January, at Westlake, where it all started.

MJJC: Do you have anything you want to say to the members of MJJCommunity or Michael Jackson fans in general?

Brad Sundberg: Michael truly loved his fans. There is no tribute show or seminar or movie that can replace the talent that he was born with. I was blessed to have known him, and I cherish the memories of watching him practice a circular moonwalk in the studio, or singing scales with Seth, or watching him from the wings on stage in front of 100,000 screaming fans. I can hear his laughter as if he were sitting across the room from me. He was a professional, a perfectionist, an entertainer, a singer, a dancer, a dad and a friend. I miss him, and I know you do also. Thanks for letting me share a few memories with you.

My name is Brad Sundberg, and I first met Michael Jackson during the recording of Captain Eo, in 1985, at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles. I was asked to join Michael’s team as an engineer the following year for the production of the “BAD” album in 1986. Then came the tour (I worked with Michael and the band to restructure the new songs for live performance), the dance mixes, the short films, and so on. Next came “Dangerous”, Michael’s first project without Quincy Jones. Another year in the studio, another tour, more remixes and short films. Then came “HIStory,” which we recorded in New York. We were at the worldfamous Hit Factory for nearly a year, followed by tour prep for the “HIStory” tour. Along the way many of the songs for “Blood On The Dancefloor” were recorded and mixed.

When Michael sang “Man In The Mirror,” I was there. When Michael sang vocal warm-ups before a session, I was there. From setting up the vocal microphone and headphones to making sure the water was hot enough for Michael’s favorite drink, much of was handled by me. I didn’t hear stories or rumors or interview people about working with Michael, I was simply there, doing my job. (Michael even gave me the nick-name, “Really, really Brad” in the credits of the “BAD”album.) It was an honor and a priceless education to be part of his studio team.

When Michael bought Neverland Valley Ranch and wanted to turn it into his amazing home, he brought me up to start designing music and video systems to make it magical. He would call me on the phone at all hours and describe a new ride or idea that he had: The petting zoo, the trains, the outdoor theater, music around the lake, music on the stagecoach, on and on. He loved that ranch, and it always made me happy when he would get excited about my work. I wasn’t his best friend or confidant; I just had an enormous respect for Michael, his music and his love of people. I can honestly say I have never known anyone like him.

In The Studio With Michael Jackson is a seminar I put together to give you a chance to hear what it was like in the studio, how we created many of the songs, and be free to ask questions. There will be music… a lot of music. You will hear how some songs went from a demo to a finished product. You will hear Michael talking to his producers, and see video and photos from our studio days.

If you are fan of Michael Jackson and are curious about what it was like to work with him in the recording studio with the best professionals in the business, you will enjoy this seminar. If you appreciate the amazing sounds and layers that you hear in his albums, you will enjoy this seminar. If you are curious about what it was like to work with one of the most creative forces in the entertainment industry, yet also one of the kindest men I have ever known, you will enjoy this seminar.

I invite you to spend a day with me and hear the music and the stories of what it was like to work with a friend of mine. His name is Michael Jackson, and I hope you will join us.

After the recent news story that Michael Jackson Estate was going after Ralphige for the prank call he did to Michael, once again the contents of the prank call became the focus of the fans. In the light of the questions and anger, Ralphige volunteered to answer any questions - even hate - coming towards his way. As MJJC we decided to take this opportunity (not to promote or support Ralphige but) to get the answers that we always wanted to know. Below is the MJJC Exclusive Q&A with Ralphige.

We want to thank everyone that asked the questions and Ralphige for the answers.

1. How did you manage to get Michael’s number and get through to him?

Ralphige: I am able to dream up these numbers. I wake up in the middle of sleep with the celebrity and their phone number in my head. I sleep with a notebook next to me so I am able to immediately write down the phone number before I forget it.

As a matter of fact, TMZ published a story yesterday about how Dr Arnold Klein may have been the person who originally got Michael Jackson addicted to the medications. That story triggered Dr. Arnold Klein to show up in my dream yesterday. I woke up, went straight to my notebook and his phone number popped up in my head. As fans of Michael, I think you guys should have the phone number...... 310-xxx-xxxx

2. What did you want to get out of prank calling Michael?

Ralphige: I am a celebrity prank caller and I have prank called many other celebrities including Paris Hilton and even Donald Trump. Michael was simply just another target for me at the time. I simply wanted to add the biggest star on the planet to my list of victims.

3. Why the mention of Akon and the diamonds in Africa? Why not go with the topic he started, the charities and helping people in need?

Ralphige: In my dream, Michael Jackson and Akon were hanging out at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. Naturally, I went along with whatever I saw in my dream. Plus, this was supposed to be a prank call, not an interview about charities. However, I am glad this prank call happened because now everyone knows that Michael had these wonderful intentions of building a school in Africa. Someone should build one in his honour.

4. How many times have you spoken to Michael? Did you talk afterwards the prank call, and if yes, what MJ said to you?

Ralphige: I spoke with him 1 additional time after the prank call. I always call my victims back and ask for permission to release the phone call. When I called back a real bodyguard answered the telephone and refused to let me speak to Michael. After some convincing Michael finally got on the line and we spoke for about 10 minutes. He told me that what I said was mean but that the damage was done and he had no control over it from that point forward. I asked him if I could release the phone call and he said "you can do whatever you want"

5. Please explain how you got permission from Michael. Did you also make a recording of Michael giving permission to use the clip?

Ralphige: I basically answered this one above. His bodyguard did not allow him to get back on the line until I promised that I was no longer recording. So, no, I do not have the permission on audio.

6. It is obvious that Michael knew from the beginning it was a prank call, he went along with it. You ended up getting fooled. Did you know Michael knew it was a prank call?

Ralphige: He did not know it was a prank call. He had suspicions that I did not sound like Akon and possibly thought it was a prank call. He fired off some questions that only him and Akon would know. When I answered those questions correctly he assumed he was speaking to Akon and kept on going. He fell for the prank call.

7. Do you think Michael Jackson was a child molester? Do you always judge people you don’t know or is that only reserved for Michael?

Ralphige: I do not know if he was a child molester. No one really knows. I honestly hope he wasn't but you can't rule anything out because truthfully no one knows except him. If you listen to my other prank calls, I offend everyone, Michael Jackson was no exception.

8. Why bring up the accusations? Why did you feel the need to make fun of something that was very hurtful to Michael, knowing how he would take it after he played along with the prank call when he obviously knew it wasn't Akon?

Ralphige: It was a prank call and I wanted to hear his reaction. I prank called Suge Knight and accused him of murdering 2pac. Suge Knights reaction was very chilling and cold-blooded. No one knows who killed 2pac and the whole world assumes Suge Knight had something to do with it. You can tell a lot by the way people react to accusations when they are not expecting it.

9. Any 'prank' that is hurtful goes beyond the acceptable limits. Do you feel shameful to do something so cruel to a person? Will you dare enough to do such a horrible thing to another celebrity? or you just feel it's ok because this person is MJ?

Ralphige: I have said worse things to other celebrities.

10. Because you chose to use the most damaging and hurtful subject to ridicule MJ as a fan I would have to draw the conclusion that you have no respect for Michael as a human being. Do you respect his achievements within the music industry?

Ralphige: I certainly respected him as a human being and no one can deny his achievements in the music industry. There will never be another Michael Jackson. I am also a fan of Michael Jackson.

11. Do you understand at the time how vulgar and harsh your joke attempt was and how ill-mannered it made you look? Do you understand it now? If yes, what made a change?

Ralphige: Everyone loved the prank call while he was alive. This all happened 4 years ago and had over 2 million views on youtube. After he passed people became more sensitive to what I said. However, if you go back and read the comments on youtube you can see people only thought it was offensive after he died.

12. Ever think about apologizing about the molester joke?

Ralphige: I already have when we spoke about the phone call minutes after it happened.

13. Tell us what’s happening between you and the Michael Jackson Estate in regards to the prank call and the sale of the prank call on your website?

Ralphige: Nothing is happening, they stopped pursuing it after they realized I had authorization from Michael Jackson,

MJJC: Were you a Michael Jackson fan before you met him? How did your perception of him changed after you met him / worked with him / toured with him?

Siedah: I had been a Jackson 5 fan my entire life. In fact, during my childhood, Michael Jackson was my play husband. I began to love Michael when he became a solo artist, and I really fell in love with him when he decided to record my song. It was then that I realized that he was more socially conscious than anyone had given him credit for.

MJJC: What was your first impression of Michael?

Siedah: He was so cool, so unexpectedly approachable.

MJJC: Where did the idea of Man In The Mirror come from?

Siedah: Two years before I wrote the song, I was in a writing session with composer John Beasley. In the heat of our session, he decided to answer an incoming call, and responded as if he really wasn’t busy at all. I was seething. I then heard him say ”The man? What man? Oh, the man in the mirror.” That phrase stuck in my mind, and I wrote it down in my lyric book of random ideas. Two years later, as my new writing partner Glen Ballard was searching for sounds on his synthesizer, I came across the notation in my lyric book, and it just jumped off of the page.

MJJC: How long did it take to write "Man in the Mirror"?

Siedah: Literally 15 minutes for the first verse and chorus. It just poured out of me. It was almost like it wrote itself.

MJJC: Did you write other songs for Michael that never made it onto his albums?

Siedah: Yes, I wrote a song called “Innocent Side” that I submitted at the same time as “Man In The Mirror”, but it was not selected. The only other song that I wrote for MJ was “Keep The Faith”, which he co-wrote, and which he then recorded on his Dangerous album.

MJJC: Siedah you are great songwriter, can you comment on Michael's song writing skills. Which song(s) do you consider his best?

Siedah: Michael was an incredible writer, and I think he was in his songwriting prime when he wrote for “Off The Wall”. I love everything he wrote for that record.

MJJC: What was it like to work with Michael in the studio?

Siedah: It was a unique learning experience. Michael was a complete perfectionist, although he would only have to do a few takes, each take was amazing.

MJJC: What was the best part of being on tour with Michael?

Siedah: Watching him every night on stage was absolutely amazing. Also being able to see the world at the highest level possible. It was almost like traveling with Jesus.

MJJC: Did you ever see Michael do something that shocked you or took you by surprise either on stage or off stage?

Siedah: Yes! Every night! And I often did things that surprised him, like when I put on a blond wig without his knowledge to perform our duet.

MJJC: Was it hard to concentrate on your singing when Michael was rubbing your thigh during I Just Can't Stop Loving You on the Dangerous tour?

Siedah: Wow! The very first time he did it, it took me by surprise. After that, I began to expect it.

MJJC: It has been rumoured that the Dangerous Tour was to continue in the US after the final 1993 dates in Australia. Do you know if there is any truth to this?

Siedah: I really don’t know.

MJJC: What was it like to hang-out with him, when you guys were not working? Was he a different personality when not on stage or in the recording studio?

Siedah: Absolutely. He was very serious about his craft, so, when working there were no fun-and-games. However, when not working, he was fun, relaxed, engaging, ridiculously creative, extremely aware of world issues, and a true artist in every sense of the word. He seemed to take to me because I was always myself when around him, never phony or intimidated. He would constantly say to me, "You so crazy!" In fact, he had a pet name for me, Miss Gayrree.

MJJC: What was your most memorable conversation you ever had with Michael?

Siedah: We were in studio recording on the day Fred Astaire passed away. Michael was deeply saddened, and shared with me just how much he loved and was influenced by Fred and his incredible dancing.

MJJC: Did Michael ever confide in you when something was troubling him? Did you ever have some real deep serious conversations with him (other than when you were working on songs)?

Siedah: Yes, we talked about the plight of African-Americans in this country, and he surprised me with his knowledge of African-American issues. Also, he once told me that the happiest he ever is in life is when he is on-stage performing.

MJJC: If you could describe Michael in only one word, what word would that be?

Siedah: Other-wordly!

MJJC: A lot of people have said Michael had a great sense of humour. What are your personal experiences of this?

Siedah: Once, while in the studio recording our duet "I Just Can't Stop Loving You", he began tossing popcorn in my face in an effort to make me mess-up. Producer Quincy Jones, not seeing this, began to chastise me for flubbing the takes. Michael, on the other hand, was just CRACKING UP!

MJJC: Over the years, especially in the 2000s, did you keep in touch with Michael?

Siedah: No, I hadn’t spoken to him in 17 years. I didn’t really reach out to him, not until 2009 when I knew he was making plans to go back on tour. I caught up with him on the phone during the Michael Jackson week on American Idol, four weeks before he died. He congratulated me on my Grammy win and Oscar nomination. I later saw him at his tour audition three weeks before he died.

MJJC: Where were you when you first got the news that Michael had passed away? And what was your immediate reaction?

Siedah: I was home in my kitchen making lunch when I heard the news on the radio. I called a fellow MJ alumnus to question whether it was real or a hoax, but then shortly found out that it was the truth. I was devastated, physically and emotionally.

MJJC: What would you want Michael fans all over the world to know about him, as someone who knew him personally and professionally?

Siedah: Michael was genuinely compassionate and caring. I feel that during his lifetime he was under-rated and under-appreciated, and unfortunately ostracized. Thank God he has been exonerated after his death.

MJJC: Is there anything you want to say to the members of MJJCommunity and Michael Jackson fans in general?

Siedah: I want to say that Michael Jackson fans are the most loyal fans on the entire planet, and he really, really appreciated them, as do I. Other than that, I would say please support my new tribute song to MJ, entitled “Keep On Lovin’ You”, where I share my feelings about my life and experience with Michael, available on iTunes on September 11th. Thank you for continuing to love him and appreciate him.

We approached Andy Picheta for a Q&A and he has agreed to it. Below you can find Andy's answers to our questions. Enjoy

MJJC Exclusive Q&A with Andy Picheta

MJJC: Why did you decide to write this book? Why now? What do you hope your book will accomplish?

Andy Picheta: The process of Michael Forever was a huge, funny, tragic and bizarre happening that needed telling. I hope my book serves as a lesson to entertainment entrepreneurs: to respect the talent, and the fans. I hope it reaches a wide audience, and makes a lot of people laugh a little. Why now? – couldn’t write it earlier, and would have forgotten a ton of stuff if I’d written it later

MJJC: How did your key partners in this project (Chris, Jeffre, Parojim) really felt about MJ? Would anyone call himself a hardcore fan? A casual fan maybe? Was it anyone’s motivation to actually really pay a tribute, or was it all just business?

Andy Picheta: As a professional, I approach every project with a real desire to do the best I can. I’m not a fan of Michael Jackson in the same way you are. I’m dispassionate, but very aware that Michael (as every artist I have worked with) put his heart and soul into every lyric, all his talent into every dance step, and did everything to his utmost. I therefore can do no less with my work; it is crucial for me to respect the artist when filming or staging their work. I too put my heart and soul into the film or show, because to do less would be unprofessional and disrespectful. I want the best I can deliver, to be sure to do the right thing at the right time. I’m not unique in this; the desire to do the best possible was exhibited by everyone who worked on the show, from Ron Weisner to the assistant’s assistant. It’s why we stuck it out to the end.

I came to understand however, that Jeffre Phillips and Chris Hunt were not driven by these motives. They had spotted a chance to create an MJ product without understanding that the fans were the key to its success, and their approach was to ignore you all, to the point of treating you with contempt. (eg deleting Facebook posts, refusing to face you or meet you, belittling your opinions in the media). The approach of Jeffre and Chris wasn’t about good business, it was arrogant, naked greed. Their actions were governed by their understanding of what they could legally get away with, not by what was right. Their response to challenges was not negotiation, but battle. I’m delighted the film has been taken away from them, because I know they would not and could not make anything good from it.

This passage is from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. The lead character and narrator Marlow describes some gold prospectors he meets at a river station on the Congo. I quote it in the book too, as I think it describes Jeffre and Chris perfectly.

“They called themselves the El Dorado Exploring Expedition...their talk was of sordid buccaneers: It was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity and cruel without courage. There was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the whole batch of them and they did not seem aware these things were wanted for the work of the world. To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire with no moral purpose at the back of it than there is with burglars breaking into a safe"

MJJC:Clearly there were even issues prior to the announcement. What stopped you from throwing in the towel at any stage?

Andy Picheta: I’m not the quitting kind. Once I’ve committed to something I give it my all. The film takes over, grows a life of its own that is bigger than all the individuals driving it forward. I go into this in the book. Projects of this nature are all about process. First you have the idea, then you develop it and do the deals with the people you need and finally, when enough is known, when the structure is in place, you announce it to the public. With Michael Forever, the deals weren’t done and the finance was flawed, but we all believed, prior to the announcement, it could yet come together. On a personal level I couldn’t walk away from a fantastic credit. Later, I couldn’t abandon a friend, and finally, I understood I had to assist those that wanted to do the right thing with the project.

MJJC: In your book, you unfairly compared fans' reaction to Cirque du Soleil Immortal (which began on October 2nd 2011 during the Murray trial) and Michael Forever. You complained that it wasn't fair, that fans seem to not have a problem with the timing of the Cirque show ...Did you know Cirque du Soleil Immortal was announced back in November 2010? The premiere date was selected/known almost a year BEFORE a trial date was known. Contrary to Chris Hunt who chose the date, knowing in advance the trial had been set for October. Also there was a huge difference in a touring tribute act to a family taking the stage and singing, dancing and smiling during the trial. Do you now understand why fans weren't as harsh towards Cirque as GLE?

Andy Picheta: Yes I do. The Michael Forever tribute was in the early planning stages towards the end of 2010, and the original date, August 27th, was chosen then. But yes, I certainly see your point about the family involvement, and now understand the effect their performances of Michael’s music had on the fan base. The estate did want Katherine and the children to go to Toronto for the premiere of Immortal. Fortunately for everyone, they didn’t want Latoya and the brothers to sing there. Interestingly, I don’t think Jeffre and Chris knew about Immortal when they planned MF.

MJJC: You insinuated that the estate was behind Warner Chappell's injection on live to air of the show. But they had every right to intervene to protect MJ's copyright. What prevented Chris Hunt & Jeffre, from getting proper authorization to use MJ's songs? Why couldn't they formally request permission to use the songs (like most smart business people would) instead of taking the chance and getting shut down?

Andy Picheta: I repeatedly argued for them to do just that and make a deal with Branca. The MiJac catalogue was owned by the estate but administered by Warner Chappell, so the latter would naturally check with their client before any action. As of last week of course, this catalogue has been moved over to Sony ATV. I’d suggest the possibility that Warner Chappell lost the business partly because they failed to prevent Michael Forever from going ahead. As for what prevented Chris and Jeffre from going about this properly, well…

Greed, hubris, arrogance, mendacity, conceit, haughtiness…I could keep going but I’d need a thesaurus! I also believe they knew the estate would never sanction such a project, but thought they could use legal loopholes to circumvent the need for Estate permission.

MJJC: How much was LaToya involved with this concert? Were ALL the Jacksons paid to pay tribute to their brother or uncle? Did any of them (3T, the 3 brothers, Latoya) ever come back and offer to help the employees who were never paid?

Andy Picheta: She rehearsed her ten minutes for six weeks. Her Svengali Jeffre Phillips was behind the whole thing, so I guess she was too. Yes all the Jacksons were paid, but no, they didn’t offer any help to anyone.

MJJC: Tell us more about MJ’s kids involvement and who really pushed to have them there. Whose idea was it to use Michael Jackson's minor children to sale tickets? Whose idea was it for the children to give a speech onstage? Did the children wanted to do it on their own, or did someone e.g. the parojim, ask them if they would?

Andy Picheta: I look at photos and video of the three children on stage and I see Prince and Paris gamely battling through an ordeal, and Blanket hating every second. How old is he? Nine? I never forced my kids to do anything they didn’t want to do unless it was absolutely in their interest (like taking a bath now and again, going to the dentist, eating up their vegetables), and I was very uncomfortable at his discomfort. I wanted to go up on stage and gently lead him away. Sadly the kids were a part of the deal, possible THE deal. Jeffre needed them for legitimacy, and he needed Katherine, as legal guardian, to deliver them, and he needed Latoya to deliver Katherine. Stupidly, they were added to the terms and conditions of ticket sale (again a lack of experience by the in house lawyer) which just wound everybody up more. So I suppose your answer as to who put the kids on the stage is: Everyone involved. Blanket’s unhappiness aside however, I think you can tell the two older children really enjoyed being up there. They were and are innocent of all the dubious business practices around the show, as indeed were the performers and the crew. They were watching and taking part in a fine musical tribute, but one put together by the wrong people at the wrong time.

MJJC: How long did it take for organizers to realize that MJ fans are not, in many cases, Jackson family fans?

Andy Picheta: They still don’t get it. I feel and understand the frustration towards his family amongst the fans, and the distrust of the organisers of Michael Forever.

MJJC: Did the family have any input into who was asked to perform?

Andy Picheta: Jeffre and Latoya would have talked to the three brothers about getting them onto the stage. Originally the brothers agreed only to ‘support’ the event. Their active participation was agreed later. Interestingly it was Ron Weisner who talked to Janet, and received Janet’s clear but diplomatic ‘no thank you’. Jeffre remained convinced that with more time he could have got Jermaine and Janet on board. Perhaps the fans can tell me if that would have made a difference. Generally however, there didn’t seem to be any plan, just a mad scramble to turn a ‘wish list’ into some booked acts.

Andy Picheta: I don’t know. This was something Ron Weisner told me when I asked about Stevie for the show. I thought he would have been a cracking addition to the line-up, as did Ron.

MJJC: Do you know why Blanket seemed upset when he was on stage?

Andy Picheta: I can only guess that he didn’t want to be there, and was too young to mask his feelings. I think Paris and Prince enjoyed the experience.

MJJC: What happened to that 100,000$ that was given as a fund for MJ's kids, whose money was it, was that money actually given to Katherine since GLE had all those money problems?

Andy Picheta: Never got paid over to them. The money was sent to LA but then diverted to pay for artists. This is just one example of the money mess surrounding the project.

MJJC: Part of the money was supposed to go to charity, did they receive any?

Andy Picheta: Nope. The Princes Trust were down for a $60,000 minimum guarantee. They have yet to be paid. I’m sure the US charities are waiting too, although they don’t appear on any creditor lists I’ve seen.

MJJC: Did you have any dealings with Howard Mann?

Andy Picheta: I heard he was sniffing around this show, but I believe he was warned off, as was David Gest.

MJJC: What are the chances of employees getting paid and DVD being released?

Andy Picheta: The two things are linked. The concert itself is a fine musical tribute to Michael. You can see the performers are proud and respectful of the material, and there are some stunning, amazing performances. Christina Aguilera paid fine tribute, Ne-Yo found the spirit of a younger Michael, and I will never forget Yolanda Adams’ rendition of ‘Earth Song’ – it’s as powerful as when Michael did it, but there’s more there too; a sense of loss, of longing, of grieving – it’s really, really beautiful, and it will blow your socks off!

The biggest point here however, is what you think. I sense there’s a feeling of achievement amongst the fans, for putting a stop to some underhand shenanigans that were disrespectful to Michael’s memory. You showed your power and the crooked snake oil salesmen have been chased out of town. But those who worked on the show itself, especially the performers, knew nothing of the business background. For many of them it was a genuine opportunity to honour (spelled the Brit way) his music. I hope you’ll want to see it, once Prince and Paris have control of it and the Estate approves it. If you do take a look, if you do decide that (with the crooks out of the way and Prince and Paris using Michael Forever as a starting point of a proper musical tribute) you can support it, those owed money for work done will be paid from the proceeds.

MJJC: If you were to do it all over again, what would you do differently? What's the biggest lesson you have learned from this saga?

Andy Picheta: I’d be more forceful about my initial areas of concern: ticket prices, estate approval, music clearance. The biggest lesson is RESPECT THE FANS. I’ve never known such a high handed, dismissive approach to an audience, the customer, as Hunt and Phillips showed throughout. Hindsight is never available when you want it, but if I could travel back in time I would: Insist the finance was robust enough to allow a free concert. Engage with the estate at an early stage. Involve the fans in the development of the thing,

And involve the elder Jackson children and make it their journey into the music of their father.

I would probably not change the date, as you need six months clear prep time – but with the fans involved from the start the feeling may have been ‘we won’t allow Murray to rob us of our tribute’ rather than ‘the organisers don’t care about our feelings at the time of the trial’. But such an inclusive, honest approach was beyond the abilities of Phillips and Hunt. I pushed it as far as I could, but in the mayhem I found it impossible to go further.

Oh, and I wouldn’t hire Kiss. Or Alien Ant Farm.

MJJC: As 80% owner of GLE, why wasn't Jeffre included in the lawsuit or called to testify in the trial?

Andy Picheta: The lawsuit was filed in the UK. The financiers QuickDraw were suing GLE and Chris Hunt and Michael Henry. They could have gone for Jeffre as well, but only for giving the instruction to the ticket agency to hand the ticket proceeds to Hunt’s company Iambic. I’m not sure they have finished with Mr Phillips yet tho’, as an awfully large amount of money is unaccounted for in the US and I understand they may bring criminal charges as a result. Hunt and Henry didn’t call Jeffre as a witness, probably because they didn’t want to pay his airfare

MJJC: Are you worried about potential backlash from co-workers (Jeffre, Chris Hunt, ect) due to writing this book?

Andy Picheta: I am more concerned about the damage associating with them has done to my reputation in the industry. I welcome any backlash, as it will give me further opportunity to point out I was as taken in as everyone else, and to remind everyone that a judge in the English High Court of Justice found Hunt to be an ‘evasive and unreliable witness’. I found him an evasive and unreliable boss.

I am petrified of the Estate however, and I hope they don’t shut me down. I asked permission of the Estate to use a picture of Michael on the cover, but they refused. I think that made for a more meaningful image, a better cover, because the book’s not really about Michael, and the white fedora works well as a memory of him, and a hat being tipped in salute.

MJJC: What has become of Chris Hunt now, has he paid any of what he must as per the court judgment? Are you still friends with Chris Hunt?

Andy Picheta: I’m sure you’ll understand that I am no longer on his Christmas card list, deleted from his birthday salutation auto-reminder, de-friended on Facebook and no longer considered as a suitable husband for his eldest daughter. So we don’t speak as often as before, but I can tell you Chris is in a whole heap of trouble. He has to account for the money he took illegally, probably pay most if not all of it back ($2.2 million), and he needs to find $1m, by September 7th, to pay QuickDraw’s legal fees. He also had to hand over all the recordings of the show. If he fails to do any of these he could be found in contempt of court and go to prison. He was a friend, and part of me feels sorry for how it turned out. But he was in the wrong and would not listen, so he brought it on himself.

MJJC: You were a bit harsh in your views about MJ fans. Michael's fans are quite a diverse group who are frequently dismissed as rabid and 'crazy'. While that element exists in any large number of people, there are many more who are quite intelligent, thoughtful and protective of Michael's memory. Since you started your book with " For the fans of Michael Jackson: You were right" ...have your views of the fans softened a bit?

Andy Picheta: I respect the fans of Michael Jackson, and of every other artist I have worked for, because the fans are the customers for what I am producing. Those of us who work in the industry are there to do a job, and even if we are fans we keep that in check, to stay professional. Track record in the entertainment business is crucial, and I perhaps should have thought more carefully about renting mine out to someone who had none. I regret any harshness; at the time it was an instinctive reaction to the harshness of the fans towards the show.

MJJC: Do you have anything you want to say to the members of MJJCommunity or Michael Jackson fans in general?

Andy Picheta: First of all, I am delighted to have the opportunity to be open and honest with MJJCommunity. Last year, before the show, I was tied to give the GLE line in my dialogue with you. I cover this in the book in some detail. I had no cause at that time to disbelieve what I was being told (about the financial arrangements the Estate had with Katherine for instance), but felt a discussion with the fans was long overdue. I was too optimistic as to what I hoped to achieve with that dialogue, as it was taking place far too late in the process. I see now why the fans consider the Estate a defender of Michael’s legacy, sometimes against his family.

I also write of how affected I was when lucky enough to film Michael nearly twenty years ago. I have never forgotten that experience and I know him to be one of the greatest writer/performers who ever lived.

I’d like to ask you to keep an eye out for Michael Forever (although it won’t be called that). When it has estate approval you can be sure Hunt, Phillips and the Parojim have been completely exorcised from the project because the Estate has made it clear they will not countenance any dealings with them. This will leave some great performances, some new material, and a children’s homage to the music of their father.

And I’d like you to tell all your friends how much you enjoyed my book, and what a wonderful Christmas present it will make!

MJJC Note: You can order Andy Picheta's book "How I Paid Tribute to Michael Jackson : The story of Michael Forever The Tribute Concert" on Amazon by clicking HERE.

MJJC is happy to bring you the second Joe Vogel Q&A about his books and Michael's music. This Q&A is planned around the e-book release of "Man in the Music: The Creative Life and Work of Michael Jackson" as well as Joe Vogel's new book "Featuring Michael Jackson.

MJJC: What peculiarity of Michael Jackson that initially attracted and motivated you to delve into the study of his music? In other words, why did you decided to analyze specifically Michael's work rather than any other artist's work? I guess there are many reasons why you appreciate him, many of them you probably discovered during your work, but I'd like to know exactly what was, so to speak, the trigger

Joe Vogel: Michael Jackson was just so different. I’m fascinated by artists that defy conventions and categories, artists that can take us places we’ve never been before, that challenge us. Michael, of course, paid a terrible price for being bold and different. When I started my book in 2005, the vitriol, hate and deceit being directed at him were awful. If anyone takes a look at media archives from that time, the level of callousness and cruelty is appalling. And I remember watching it unfold and being really angry. At first, I envisioned writing a sort of alternative biography, something more humane and nuanced and objective than what existed at the time, but as the project developed I really felt strongly about letting Michael’s creative work be the focal point and revealing the man through the music.

MJJC: You started writing “Man in the Music” book before Michael's death and we're going to interview him. Did you have questions prepared that you were going to ask Michael, and if yes, can you give a few an example questions? Even if you had no questions prepared, what would you have asked Michael if you had the chance?

Joe Vogel: I did have questions prepared. Most were about process. Michael was always so vague about his creative process. Of course, part of the problem was that so few interviewers ever asked him in-depth questions about his creativity. So my questions were all about details. I wasn’t as interested in sensational questions (how much plastic surgery?) or big questions (how do you want to be remembered?) as specifics (Tell me about these lyrics in “Stranger in Moscow” or this panther segment of “Black or White?). I wanted to show him the chapters I had done so he could see how it was laid out, how it was all about the art, and then proceed from there in terms of filling gaps and gathering new stories.

MJJC: In your last piece "The Top Ten Michael Jackson Songs of All Time" you wrote, "If I were forced to gather together a group of songs to hold up against the best work of the Beatles or Bob Dylan or Prince, these are the ones I would bring." I'd like to know, if you were asked to put together an album not for the fans, but for people who do not know Michael Jackson or have never appreciated his music, which songs would you choose to include in this album to make these people know and understand Michael Jackson, the artist and the man, and his music?

Joe Vogel: In a way, that was part of the philosophy of my Top Ten list: What ten songs really showcase Michael’s genius, working in different styles from different parts of his career. But if I were to throw together a mix for a non-fan, I might do: In the Back, Butterflies, Cheater, In the Closet, Give in to Me, Morphine, Stranger, 2Bad, Human Nature, Little Susie, Will You Be There, Threatened. I’d probably go with a lot of lesser-known tracks because part of the problem with Michael Jackson is his classic songs are so familiar many people can’t hear them anymore.

MJJC: What has been the most surprising thing you have learned from your research on Michael Jackson?

Joe Vogel: I don’t know that there is one thing. I was really impressed with the intelligence that went into his work. I loved the stories about him tracking people down, calling in the middle of the night, going to an old folk’s home to visit Walt Disney’s massage therapist, reaching out to all the people he respected or admired. He was so curious, which is such a great quality for an artist.

MJJC: Why do you think so many overlook Michael's work after Thriller/Bad?

Joe Vogel: That’s a very complicated question. Part of it was a backlash to his success, part of it had to do with race, part of it was about his otherness and the media caricature that was constructed. And part of it was just sheer laziness. Critics latched onto a simple narrative—rags to riches to ruins—and couldn’t seem to find the intellectual acuity to move beyond that and recognize the evolution in Jackson’s art.

MJJC: Referring to Michael Jackson's music you often use terms like “he re-invented”. That sounds to me like an attempt to state - somehow - he has been the first to create something new in music while you are conscious that some other, although less publicized, musicians already did that before MJ. Is it correct? And if not, why you say he "reinvented" instead of "invented"?

Joe Vogel: Well, no one creates out of a vacuum so I think I’m sceptical of the term “invention” for any artist. You always draw from what comes before you. Michael didn’t invent R&B or soul or disco, but he stylized these genres in ways that hadn’t been done before. I actually think Michael did, for all intents and purposes, invent “pop” as we know it today; but I think he re-invented it with the Dangerous album. Similarly, I might feel comfortable saying, with qualification, that Michael “invented” modern music videos. Of course, they existed before Michael; but he had an enormously profound impact on what they became.

MJJC: What do you think about those rock journalists who write about “criteria” in music, stating that “innovation” and “influence” are the most important criteria to judge music and according to these criteria don’t consider Michael Jackson an important musician in pop history?

Joe Vogel: Innovation and influence are important criteria, but they are the criteria Michael meets in a major way. Look at the musical landscape today: Michael’s influence is everywhere. That being said, I don’t think Michael Jackson’s greatness is in any way tied to the existence of Justin Bieber, just as the Beatles aren’t assessed by their influence on the Jonas Brothers.

MJJC: Do you think Michael's artistry and his impact on pop culture will be thoroughly examined by more scholars in the future?

Joe Vogel: Absolutely. It’s already happening. There has been a proliferation of scholarship on Jackson over the past few years, including journals and conferences. He’s being taught in many different fields—music, film studies, English, dance, visual studies, cultural studies, African American studies, etc.—at universities around the world.

What seems to be taking a bit more time is serious writing on MJ aimed at a more mainstream audience. This is an audience I have been trying to help build with my books and articles. There are still a lot of people for whom Michael is more of a celebrity or entertainer than a serious artist. It’s strange because Michael has such an enormous fan base, but the audience for this type of work is still relatively small. There is quite a ways to go to catch up to the Beatles, or Dylan, or even Springsteen and U2.

MJJC: Were you as frustrated as fans were for Michael being reduced to tabloid caricature, and his music and achievements were basically dismissed? Do you think the tide is turning and people are finally seeing him as a brilliant showman and musician and his music is not dismissible?

Joe Vogel: The tide is definitely turning. There’s been an enormous shift in public perception since 2009. It’s very sad that’s what it took for people to be reminded of his genius, but that’s the way it often goes with artists of his calibre. I had the privilege of being a consultant for the upcoming Bad 25 documentary by Spike Lee and watching that footage was just incredible. The more people are exposed to Michael Jackson, the artist, the more his legacy will thrive.

MJJC: What is your favourite MJ album? Song?

Joe Vogel: My favourites change from month to month, year to year. My favourite album right now is Bad, especially the Bad outtakes and demos. Favourite songs right now: “Destiny,” “Cheater” and “She Drives Me Wild”

MJJC: How are the Stranger in Moscow and Scared Of The Moon pieces you are working on coming along? Do you have any idea when they might be released?

Joe Vogel: Unfortunately, both are on the backburner right now. These types of projects are nearly impossible to find publishers for, so they present a lot of challenges. Most likely I would have to do them independently as I did for “Earth Song.”

MJJC: Who really wrote "On the line"? Very confusing information Spike Lee said Babyface wrote the song, but Warner/Chappell's website & Ultimate, both list MJ as the writer.

Joe Vogel: My understanding is that it was co-written by Jackson and Babyface.

MJJC: Will you include new chapters in the paperback version of Man in the Music?

Joe Vogel: Umm…probably not new chapters, but definitely new material within existing chapters.

MJJC: After "Featuring Michael Jackson", what should we expect from you (regarding MJ and otherwise)? Do you have any more books about Michael planned? Such as books about Michael’s music videos or unreleased songs? Or even a book about Michael’s personal life?

Joe Vogel: There are endless projects that could be done on Michael (I have a few in mind), but my next major book will be on a different artist. No current plans to write on Michael’s unreleased songs or a biography.

MJJC Note: You can find Amazon links to Joe Vogel's books below and in near future, we will have another Joe Vogel surprise for you all. Keep following us and Joe Vogel :)

MJJC is happy to bring you DDA (and soon to be Judge) David Walgren's answers to MJJCommunity's Exclusive Q&A.

From the start, we have stated that not all of the questions would be sent to DDA Walgren. I and some members of MJJC Case team selected the final set of questions. We have omitted hoax/believer questions and questions about civil trials as they were irrelevant.

I have also notified that due to DDA Walgren being a prosecutor, in this case, there could be questions he cannot answer. These topics included different possible charges, restitution and evidence related questions.

Enjoy the answers and please join me to say a big thank you to DDA David Walgren for generously agreeing to this Q&A despite his busy schedule.

MJJC: Before the trial would you consider yourself as a fan of Michael Jackson’s music? If yes, what is your favourite song of MJ’s?

David Walgren: Before the trial, I had great respect for Michael Jackson as an artist and enjoyed his music. However, as I learned more about him and his life, I came to really enjoy two songs in particular: Human Nature and Earth Song.

MJJC: Can you share some of your thoughts that you personally had on 6/25/2009 when the world learned of Mr Jackson's death? Did you ever imagine at that time you could become the lead prosecutor in Michael Jackson’s death?

David Walgren: When I first learned of Michael Jackson’s death, I was in shock. My first thoughts centred on his relative youth, and the tragic loss for his children and other loved ones. At the time, I did not give any thought to any potential criminal prosecution.

MJJC: What was your perception of Michael Jackson (if you had one) before working on the case? How has the knowledge of facts changed, if this is the case, your opinion of him as a person (for the better or the worse)?

David Walgren: Prior to the trial, my perception of Michael Jackson was simply that he was a very gifted artist and, although I was aware of various media accounts regarding his personal life, I do not typically follow that type of reporting. Now that I have learned so much more about him as a person, I have come away with great admiration for him as a loving and dedicated father to his children.

MJJC: Media reported that Michael Jackson’s kids especially his son Prince might be called to testify. Was there any truth to these rumours? Did you interview the kids and under what circumstances you would have called them to the stand?

David Walgren: I will say that I was always reluctant to call any of Michael’s children to testify at the trial and any media reports stating differently were based on pure speculation. My feeling was that the children had already had to experience enough trauma and I did not want to compound that by having them endure testifying in such a highly publicized setting about such an emotional and painful experience.

MJJC: We asked Dr Shafer what he thought of you and he praised you saying “He is brilliant, dedicated, and absolutely honest. He worked incredibly hard. I think he got about 4 hours of sleep every night of the trial. Part of my job was educating Mr Walgren in the science. By the time of the trial, he was occasionally correcting my calculations! He was so effective when dealing with expert opinion in part because he truly understood the scientific principles”. Can you tell us a bit about your work with Dr Shafer? How hard was it for you to learn all of the medical and scientific aspects of the evidence presented and how many out of court hours he would estimate he worked on getting up to speed?

David Walgren: Dr Shafer is a brilliant, compassionate, and giving the individual who pursues all science with the goal of ascertaining the truth. It was a privilege and honour to learn from someone so skilled in his field. I also spent long hours reading medical articles and other scientific publications. My goal was not only to learn the science but to be able to present it to members of the jury in a manner that they would understand. To the extent I was successful in doing that, I owe a great deal to Dr Shafer and the tremendous amount of work he put into the case.

MJJC: Casey Anthony Defense Team said they utilized case pertinent online resources while preparing for their case. Did Michael Jackson fan sites/ blogs and social networks play any role in your preparations?

David Walgren: Fan sites, blogs and other social media did not play a large role in my preparation. Although I was aware of some of these sites, I tried to approach this case as I would any other—by being as prepared and knowledgeable as possible in regard to the evidence and the law. Toward that goal, I tried to avoid distractions that would take time away from my goal.

MJJC: Many Michael Jackson fans still have an issue with the open release of Michael Jackson’s autopsy photo. Why was it necessary to show a picture of MJ on a gurney and an autopsy photo in open court for a manslaughter trial? Why couldn't the pictures of Michael's body be only shown to the jury in court and not on live TV to avoid the massive reproduction of them all over the internet?

David Walgren: All evidence admitted at trial must be presented in open court and since the court had ruled the trial would be televised, such evidence became public.

MJJC: What are your thoughts on why Conrad Murray recorded Michael Jackson on his phone?

David Walgren: I have not been able to come up with any reason why Conrad Murray would have made and saved that voice recording other than, as Judge Pastor stated, it was to serve as an insurance policy that Conrad Murray could one day use against Michael Jackson.

MJJC: If Conrad Murray took the stand, what would be the top 3 questions you’d have asked him and why?

David Walgren: If Conrad Murray took the stand, I would have had a great number of questions for him and I think it would have been very enlightening but I cannot narrow this to a list of top 3 questions because it would be a series of questions delving into all aspects of the events preceding June 25, 2009, the events of June 25, 2009, the events following June 25, 2009, as well as the defendant’s subsequent recorded interview with the police.

MJJC: From the beginning, even prior to the trial, were you confident that you had a strong case against the defence? Was there ever a time when things seemed to get complicated and you thought you might not get a guilty verdict?

David Walgren: After I had thoroughly reviewed the evidence in this case, I was astounded by the complete lack of competent medical care provided to Michael Jackson by the defendant. I also believed the defendant was guilty of gross negligence. However, I never allow myself to get confident in a particular outcome. I always work until the very end because if the case is not presented well by the jury, justice will not prevail, no matter how confident the advocate may be.

MJJC: Despite the evidence brought at the trial, despite the verdict of guilty, some people still think that Murray has been wrongfully convicted and that he is kind of fall guy for acts perpetrated by others. What would you say to these people?

David Walgren: There were two people in the room during the night of June 25, 2009. One was Conrad Murray, a medical doctor who is supposed to heal and care for people, and one was Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson put his life into the hands of Conrad Murray and Conrad Murray abandoned him. I do not believe Conrad Murray was wrongfully convicted, nor do I feel he is a fall guy for others.

MJJC: At the press conference you couldn't answer the question which case in your career was the most difficult one. Have you thought about it? Which case was the most challenging and why?

David Walgren: This is a difficult question to answer because each case is so unique. Some are more complicated than others. Some are more emotionally taxing than others. Some simply last longer than others. Each case presents its own set of challenges and I am unable to single out a particular case as the most challenging.

MJJC: Could you give some advice to young law graduates in this difficult period of economic crisis?

David Walgren: The best advice I could give is to not give up. If the search for a job is difficult, just keep trying and be persistent and doors will eventually open.

MJJC: We heard recently that you have applied for the position of L.A. County Superior Court Judge. Why did you make a decision to become a Judge? Beyond that do you have any plans such as getting into politics?

David Walgren: I have been a Deputy District Attorney for 16 years and have now submitted my name for consideration to be a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge. I feel that my courtroom experience, my personality and temperament, and my ability to be fair and compassionate make me qualified to serve as a judge and I look forward to taking on new challenges in my legal career.

MJJC: Were you aware of the intense amount of admiration and support, you were receiving from the Michael Jackson Fan Community, and that it continues to this day? Did it surprise you to find out that most of the fan community has such great admiration for you? What do you think of such admiration?

David Walgren: When I would arrive to the courthouse in the early morning hours, Michael Jackson fans would yell words of support as they waited outside for a seat in the courtroom. The fans would also line the hallways of the 9th floor and extend words of support and gratitude. I was also made aware of various internet sites and videos that were supportive of what was occurring. Although I did not react at the time, these gestures were very kind and very much appreciated.

MJJC: Do you have anything you want to say to the members of MJJCommunity or Michael Jackson fans in general?

David Walgren: Considering a great deal of emotion involved in the trial, I feel the Michael Jackson fans conducted themselves very well. They were respectful of the process and patiently waited for justice to be served. I admired their dedication and loyalty to Michael Jackson and to the extent possible, I hope the trial gave them some level of closure.

Our sincere thanks go to David Walgren for taking time out to speak with MJJCommunity

MJJC: You occasionally call out celebrities who call Michael a drug addict, and we love you for it. However, you seem to stay silent when your own family calls Michael an addict. What is the truth? Are you at odds with certain family members that continue to call Michael a drug addict? Have you ever told them to stop it or to try and word their comments better?

Jermaine Jackson: I'm not at odds with anyone because everyone accepts that Michael died due to Propofol intoxication, and he used it because he was desperate to sleep, not because he was addicted.

I personally felt it was important to point out the difference between Michael's one-time addiction to painkillers, and the sensationalist addiction talk of him being "a junkie" that the media and Murray wrongly attached to his death. That was why I wrote what I did and why I called out all the bull-crap during the trial.

My siblings shared private conversations and concerns with our brother about his addiction around 2001/02 time, and they are entitled to talk about it, but talking about that period does not mean they are calling him a drug addict in 2009. He wasn't.

MJJC: Why do you and many in your family continue to downplay what Michael said was abuse in the hands of Joe? Obviously, Michael was deeply affected by it. You and your family always say its discipline when it's not. Don't you think Michael has a right to tell it how he lived it and how for him it was abuse, whether you agree with it or not?

Jermaine Jackson: Yes, Michael had the right to tell it, and so do I because I experienced the same discipline from Joseph. I was disciplined. I was not abused. He treated us the same and I don't apologise for attempting to place all of this into context. In every family, there will be different perspectives of the same event. I have given mine.

I will say this: I read many biographies that invented what Joseph was supposed to have done. The majority of it was pure fantasy or wildly exaggerated. It was designed to paint him as evil. Joseph has never been evil. Michael would agree with that.

I don't dismiss Michael's experience and feelings. What I have tried to do is balance what happened and do what Michael tried to teach us all: be more understanding and more compassionate. That's why I used his Oxford University speech in the book because he didn't have the judgment or vitriol that some fans have for Joseph. He forgave him. He didn't judge him. He also loved him and history deserves to know that.

MJJC: What made you feel that Tohme Tohme was someone worthy of meeting Michael and to be in business with? What were your thoughts of Michael being on tape saying he doesn't like Tohme and how he controls everything Michael does including his money and keeping him from seeing anyone he didn't want Michael to see?

Jermaine Jackson: I've explained this over many pages in the book because I know how concerned fans have been and I wanted to explain everything from the very beginning. The full story is in there. I can't go over it all again. But the biggest misunderstanding is that I introduced him to Michael as some kind of partner or manager. That's not true.

I first met Tohme-Tohme as someone who could help fund the Crystal City project (described in the book) which I was working on with Michael around 2007 time. I had four meetings with Michael to get down our vision on paper. He was all about it.

I met with Tohme-Tohme to find a consortium to raise the $5-6 billion we needed. Not once did I mention to him that Michael was involved in this project. Not once.

Soon afterwards, I heard that Neverland was in trouble. There was the talk of foreclosure. That was the first time I went to Tohme-Tohme about Michael (April 13 2008) because if this guy could find billions for a leisure project, he probably knew businessmen who had $23-24 million to save Neverland. That was my thinking.

Long story short, Tohme-Tohme introduced me to Tom Barrack at Colony Capital. Make no mistake; Tom saved my brother's financial ass. Folk out there have no idea how close to the wire things got.

From that moment on, I wasn't part of the equation and Tohme-Tohme turned against me. He was no friend of mine and I know that he became no friend of Michael's. But, from April 2008, the choices and the appointments that were made had nothing to do with me. Michael was his own man with his own mind.

MJJC: Why was Tohme-Tohme allowed at UCLA Medical Centre and even allowed to speak on June 25th, after Michael Jackson had fired him?

Jermaine Jackson: I don't know why he was there or who authorized it. When I arrived, he was already there in the corridor, but you've got to understand that I wasn't thinking about any of that, or why he was allowed to speak. That day was a blur.

MJJC: What is your opinion about Tohme-Tohme now?

Jermaine Jackson: My opinion of him? He was the same as everyone else who came and went in Michael's life - he didn't understand the revolving door he was caught in. I do think his heart was in the right place but I think the access went to his head. His manner was too sharp and fiery for Michael in the end.

MJJC: Do you believe Dr Murray’s actions on June 25th directly caused Michael's death or do you hold Latoya's view of what happened? In other words who do you think is responsible for Michael death?

Jermaine Jackson: With the wrongful death lawsuit going on, this is not something I want to get into, but I'll say this: Murray was the person who injected the fatal dose of Propofol, but that fact doesn't remove questions that I still have. Also, Michael's death was preventable by others, long before those early hours of June 25th 2009. He was dead long before he died and no one did anything and no one alerted us, his family. Had I known what I know now, I'd have been in there shutting it down and getting him to a hospital.

MJJC: Why were you taken aback by Michael not naming his brothers, sisters and father in his Will? Was it because he took care of the family in life that you believed naturally he would do the same in case of death? Was this something Michael ever discussed with the family?

Jermaine Jackson: Who says I was taken aback? We didn't discuss Michael's death. Why would we? The rest of the family has had musical careers and we've got and always had our own money.

Michael did what a father should in a will - he took care of his kids, and he also named our mother. By including her, he included us. The lioness takes care of her cubs, and that philosophy has always been understood in our family.

MJJC: What do you think about the individuals that Michael appointed to run his Estate? And are you happy with his choice? Why does it seem as if your family is forever going against the Estate, by initiating projects without Estate approval and making hostile remarks to the press about the people running the Estate?

Jermaine Jackson: No Jackson needs anyone's approval to initiate a project that celebrates or remembers our own brother. We were not appointed hypothetically in 2002. We were appointed by blood at birth.

MJJC: Why you and your family always say that you wanted to work with Michael again for albums and concerts when everybody knows that Michael didn't want to work with his family anymore? For example: on October 29, 2008, you announced a Family reunion. The next day, Michael released a statement that he didn't have any plans to reunite with his siblings. Why did you make that announcement without conferring with Michael first?

Jermaine Jackson: Who says that "everybody knows he didn't want to work with us anymore"? They cite one date and one example and apply it forever??

Everybody doesn't know, because Michael had agreed to do one "final" concert with the brothers and that was because Mother wanted to see us all on stage one last time in her lifetime, not thinking that Michael would pass before her.

He made that promise to her, not us, and we hadn't really spoken about it. But that concert was included in the many plans he had for after This Is it, including spot-dates in China and a performance at the Super Bowl 2010 (plans made prior to John Branca's return)

MJJC: Your ex-wife, Margaret Maldonado, said you were intensely jealous of Michael. Suzanne de Passe said a similar thing on Oprah in 1993 about the brothers being jealous of Michael. Were you, or were you not jealous of Michael at any point in your life? And what do you make of others who knew you personally, stating that you were jealous of your brother?

Jermaine Jackson: Too many folks listen to what others say. I don't care what others think they know, and it doesn't matter if they know me personally or don't - they can't know what I'm feeling on the inside. There is not one person out there who can say with any truth that I have said, shouted or complained about Michael in any jealous way. There were differences from time to time, but never jealousy.

I remain as proud of Michael as I always was when he was alive, and this is one reason why I wrote the book - to hear about our life and our journey in my words, no one else's.

MJJC: In your book and your media interviews promoting it, you were adamant about the importance of family and how individually you were weaker compared to how you were collective as a family unit. It was a theme that you related to Michael's professional career, when you talked about how music industry outsiders tried to separate him from his brothers and that this was not a good outcome. How do you explain then why you were the first brother to break away from the family group when you stayed with Motown to pursue a solo career rather than follow your father and brothers to their better record deal at Epic? If your career had blown up and been as successful as Michael, do you think that you would have been so keen to return to the family group?

Jermaine Jackson: I don't think I'd thought too much about me leaving the Jackson 5 until it came to the book, and it was pointed out to me that my leaving could have been an example set to Michael. If it's okay for me to break away, it was okay for him to break away. I see that in a way I never did before.

But I use Joseph's story about the tree and the branches...how we are stronger when tight together, not separate. If you read the book, you'll see how lonely I was and how all I wanted was to reunite with the brothers. Regardless of success, I was always keen to return to those roots.

That is a different thing to people in Hollywood who surrounded Michael and wanted him in isolation. I lay it all out in the book for folk to make up their own mind and ask themselves one question: Michael was a superstar in his own right, but was he better off as a person when isolated from family? I'll tell you now: had family been at The Forum or Staples for This Is It, those rehearsals would have been stopped long before and Michael would still be with us today.

MJJC: In your book, you wrote that you did NOT write "Word to the Badd" but in 1991, you DID interviews--both live and print--where you in no uncertain terms stated that you wrote the song. For example, in a Times interview, you said: “I wrote this song--and it came from the bottom of my heart--was to help my little brother get a grip on reality. “. Which version is the truth? And regardless do you accept any responsibility for the song Word to the Badd? Even if you didn't write it, wouldn't you agree that singing/recording it is just as bad?

Jermaine Jackson: I have heard how some folk are keen to pin me to this kind of reported word or the odd sentence on video. The bottom line is that I didn't write it and everyone involved knows I didn't write it, regardless of what I said or didn't say in this interview or that interview. No one mentions the interviews where I said I didn't write it, do they??!

The true story is the one I've told many times, and the one that is in the book. I accepted responsibility a long time ago and my remorse was true. It is a shame to me that some fans cannot move on from this in the same way Michael did. But honestly, what matters to me is that we straightened things out as brothers.

MJJC: If you really have vitiligo as you stated in your book, what prevented you from coming out when everyone doubted Michael had the disease? Don't you think that it could have benefited Michael if you would have come out to his defence and said you had a vitiligo spot once, instead of mocking your brother in a song about his skin change?

Jermaine Jackson: For us, it was nonsense to hear all those tabloid lies about Michael bleaching his skin but I'll say what Michael said: if we spent our time extinguishing every rumour and every lie that was ever said or written, none of us would have had lives.

When I first started writing the book, I didn't intend to include anything about this. We are (as a family) very private. But I mentioned it one day and my ghost-writer thought it was significant. We talked about it and I agreed to include it after being persuaded that it was important information.

MJJC: You claimed in your book that Michael didn't own a cell phone. There are many pictures, bodyguards, friends confirming Michael did own and use cell phones. Is it possible that Michael simply didn't want to talk to you?

Jermaine Jackson: Folk's interpretation of a photo doesn't mean that Michael owned his own cell just because he was pictured with one. To the best of my knowledge, there was no cell you could call Michael direct on unless it was someone else's.

MJJC: What was going through your mind when you thought that telling everyone there was an 'escape plan' [if Michael was found guilty in 2005] was a good idea? Any escape or leaving the country during a trial (before or after the verdict) would have been a felony. Do you regret writing that?

Jermaine Jackson: Why would I regret writing it??! Once again, this is an example of newspapers misreporting what I had written in the book. I didn't say there was a plan "if convicted". I said it was a plan I had after the first few days of evidence. I didn't say it was rational, but it was the way I was thinking without the benefit of hindsight.

It didn't occur to me how right or wrong it was. This was a time when my brother was pursued, arrested and put on trial for something he didn't do, and I was supposed to sit back and trust the system that was screwing him? I had zero faith and I had nightmares about an innocent man going to jail. I have written in the book about the thoughts and feelings I was experiencing in that context. It's the truth, and I don't regret writing the truth.

MJJC: To what extent, Michael owes his success to you and the rest of your family? Do you believe Michael's legacy is his own and stands apart from the Jacksons or Jackson 5 legacy?

Jermaine Jackson: To the same extent that Paul McCartney owes his success to The Beatles. Michael's platform was the Jackson 5. Everyone comes from somewhere.

Michael's legacy is his own and he stands in his own remarkable light, and we feel proud as brothers to have shared in his early days because the Jackson 5 days are part of the Michael Jackson success story. History can't separate them.

MJJC: While the Jackson family is an amazing musical force and they are American musical royalty, is the Jackson family aware that many fans do not see the Jackson family's legacy and Michael Jackson's legacy as one and the same - especially overseas, where Michael's fan base is so large? How do you think you can grow your Jackson family legacy without alienating Michael Jackson fans?

Jermaine Jackson: I think I've partly answered this one with the previous question. We don't wish to alienate anyone, because Michael had the most amazing fans who are fiercely proud of his legacy as much as we are. Michael's legacy and the Jackson legacy are interwoven without being one and the same. I think that's the best way to put it...our legacy started off on the same track and then Michael's track separated and went on its own way to create another legacy on top of the Jackson 5 legacy.

MJJC: After all the privacy and protection Michael insisted on for his kids, why is your family promoting the kids and disregarding their privacy - especially with public Twitter accounts that expose them to haters. Do you see how putting the kids out there seem to fans to directly contradict everything their father wanted for them as children/young people? Some fans feel Michael's wishes are being disrespected. Please help us understand.

Jermaine Jackson: We are not disregarding their privacy, and Michael's wishes are not being disrespected. Those kids are fiercely protected.

Michael entrusted his children to our mother's care because he knew the love, care and attention they would receive. As any parent knows, it is a fine line between saying "no" and respecting your child's wishes. As they grow and evolve, so must the decisions are taken that affect their lives, development and ambitions.

MJJC: Are you aware that the internet blog where Jordan Chandler retracted his allegations against Michael is a hoax? In TV interviews you and Mrs Jackson when defending Michael from the child abuse allegations use this argument to prove Michael's innocence and because it is false it has the opposite effect of making viewers continue to question the accusations against Michael. There are so many good arguments to support Michael's innocence and it is extremely frustrating for fans and extremely damaging towards your brother when an argument which is clearly a lie is used.

Jermaine Jackson: I don't know what Internet blog is being referred to??

Michael's attorney Tom had a witness that was prepared to testify that Jordan Chandler had told him the allegations were untrue (should he have appeared as a witness in 2005) The boy had privately retracted it, and Tom was going to prove it. I think that's as good as any argument can get!

MJJC: Do you still feel strongly against the Cascio tracks? If so then do you or any other family member's plan to take issue with any future MJ albums that include any more Cascio tracks?

Jermaine Jackson: For now, I'll say what I've always said on this issue: when has Michael's music and voice ever been released with a question mark over it, as to whether it's 100% him? I think the truth will come out one day but no, that first album is not 100% Michael and no one can talk to me about the authentic sound of my own brother's voice.

MJJC: This is kind of random, but did Michael ever express any interest in Islam or becoming a Muslim? There were many rumours swirling around in the months after his death that said he was a Muslim

Jermaine Jackson: Michael did not convert to Islam. He was curious about it and I gave him many books to read about Islam. I write in the book how, during his 2005 trial, he returned to the Kingdom Hall to pray. It's fair to say that he died a Jehovah Witness.

MJJC: What is the worst prank Michael ever played on you?

Jermaine Jackson: Buckets or bottles of water balanced on the top of doors. Water, water, water. Every prank I ever remember involved a soaking!

MJJC: What do you miss about Michael most?

Jermaine Jackson: That's simple: his smile. He had a smile like no one else.

MJJC: If you could say just one more thing to Michael, what would it be?

Jermaine Jackson: It wouldn't be one thing, it would be many things. Many private things, but I would probably remind him how brilliant his London concerts were going to be because his self-doubt worried about that. That's the saddest thing for me: that his death confirmed the lie that he wasn't ready or fit enough to perform again when the truth is that he was going to produce the most amazing show on earth and prove everyone wrong with the comeback of all comebacks.

MJJC: Do you plan to release a solo album of new material and would you ever do a show/tour of your own hits/new material?

Jermaine Jackson: I always have plans and ideas and I'm always working on new material. I'm not finished yet!

MJJC: Is there a reason why we are mostly only seeing Marlon, Jackie and Tito together? Do you think you will ever work with your brothers again?

Jermaine Jackson: You only saw Marlon, Jackie and Tito last year because I was busy writing my book, and then there was the trial. I hold dear the hope that you will see the brothers working as one again.

MJJC: What do YOU plan on doing for Michael and his legacy for years to come?

Jermaine Jackson: My book was the first thing I could do to honour his memory and fight for the truth in a way that he never got the chance to. Looking ahead, my goal will be to always preserve his legacy on the highest level in any appropriate way that I can.

As MJJC we hope that the readers can understand the importance of this Q&A. As Michael Jackson fans we had questions, we had concerns in issues related to the Jackson family and Taj Jackson agreed to take questions and answer them to best of his ability so that we can fix misunderstandings and overcome negativity and realize that despite our difference of opinions we are all on the same side - Michael Jackson. As MJJC it's our hope that we can all move towards a more positive and harmonious future. Enjoy !!!

MJJC Exclusive Q&A with Taj Jackson

MJJC: Many believe MJ wasn't close to his family for many years before he passed. Some have put the timeline as far back as Off the wall. Janet has confirmed this in her interviews prior to his passing, while Latoya & Jermaine book reinforced this notion. Can you tell us how close was MJ to his family in general? How often did you have contact with him & the children before June 25th? How often did you see MJ after he returned from Bahrain?

Taj Jackson: Well I think that answer depends on which family members you are talking about. I know that my uncle Michael had never stopped being close to us (me and my brothers). I also know that my uncle Michael was always extremely close to my Grandma.

Yes, I know some members of my family weren't as close to my uncle in the later years as before, but for us that never was the case. I talked to him and saw him very often.

MJJC: There have been some questionable ventures that included Michael’s children such as children being listed in the contracts as a condition, promoting products/charities that are involved in a legal fight with Estate, giving interviews to journalists (ie: Frauke Ludowig) that made disparaging remarks about MJ before. What do you think of your family putting Michael's three vulnerable children out into the spotlight every time something MJ's related happens? MJ went to extreme lengths to protect his children from the media, so why just a year after his death have his children begun to appear on TV in interviews all around the world, have pap photos of themselves appear constantly in the media, and have public Twitter accounts which are picked up by gossip websites like TMZ. As his nephew do you think this is what MJ would have wanted for his young children? Do you ever think that maybe Michael wanted his children protected?

Taj Jackson: We are really trying to do our best with the situation in front of us, but we are only human. It's always easier to sit back and judge. But no one else is really in our shoes.

As for his kids, they are his legacy now. They are the ones that can and will carry on the MJ name and message. We don't force them to do that, they are proud to do it.

MJJC: Are the adults aware of the ongoing cyberbullying Paris & Prince have been subjected to on Twitter? (Unsavory characters have tweeted them the autopsy picture, made crude jokes, curse and ridicule the children). Why are the children allowed to be on Twitter when so many hate on them? Are they being monitored when they go online? Are there concrete and serious steps being taken to protect the children against cyber bullies?

Taj Jackson: We take cyberbullying VERY seriously and appropriate steps have always been taken when warranted. However, the last thing we want Prince, Paris, and Blanket to feel is that they are being imprisoned. No matter how much we want or try to protect them, there will always be people out there full of jealousy and hate.

MJJC: Do you feel, in your heart of hearts, that THIS GLE/JA-TAIL “MICHAEL FOREVER TRIBUTE”, was worthy of MJ? Do you really believe the lineup was the best for the greatest entertainer? Were the fans concerns about the tribute took seriously?

Taj Jackson: No tribute will ever truly be worthy of MJ. He is undoubtedly the greatest of all time. However, that doesn't mean that there should never be any MJ tributes. Personally, I think there should be MJ tributes all the time. My uncle should ALWAYS be celebrated.. not just for his musical contribution, but for the incredible person he was.

I did this tribute for my uncle. And knowing my uncle… he would have much rather have seen his mother and kids there…and his own brothers, sister, and nephews 3T up on stage performing a tribute to him, then ANY other big named artist(s).

MJJC: We now learn GLE has filed for bankruptcy on October 8th, THE NIGHT OF THE TRIBUTE. What steps will you & your family take, to make sure GLE/JA-TAIL respects their commitments to the workers? Did the charities receive their promised donation?

Taj Jackson: I am not GLE, and don't have all the details on what exactly transpired, therefore I can not comment on this yet. Sorry. I really hope there is more info in the near future.

MJJC: Since you were a consultant to the estate, you must not believe the will is fake. But do you know why some in your family would think the will is fake, but never went to court to legally challenge it? Have you ever discuss the issue with your family? What is their thinking, and how did they come up with the belief that the 2002 will wasn't signed by MJ? Has the Jackson family cooperatively decided to start working with the MJ Estate or are some still holding out and consider them an enemy?

Taj Jackson: I still am involved in the Estate. And regarding these questions, I can only speak on my behalf. Or things that I was personally part of.

I think us (the family) vs them (the Estate) mentality is very dangerous and non-productive. When you compete or consider someone the enemy, then there has to be a clear winner and a loser. Why would I want my uncle's Estate to fail? Communication is the key though and for the longest time, there was definitely a lack of it on both sides. It also doesn't help the situation when you hear someone say go "Team this" or "Team that". For me, it's all about my uncle legacy and not a game. The only team should be Team MJ.

Also, the Jackson Family is a huge family and although we are a family unit, it is still made up of many individuals. Please remember, one person does not speak for the whole family or represent the whole family.

MJJC: Paris and Prince openly support other Artists music and Albums and even Jackson family endeavours on Twitter but no mention at all of their Dads new releases. They have even been tweeted questions from their followers but refuse to reply. Seeing how they are vocal of how proud they are of their dad's accomplishment, it raises a lot of questions. Have MJ's children been forbidden to support Estate ventures for their dad?

Taj Jackson: MJ's kids have never ever been forbidden to support Estate ventures. They have been to and supported many ventures that the Estate was directly behind. They are VERY proud of their dad's accomplishments.

MJJC: Do the oldest two know and understand the estate is theirs? Their dad's legacy? His gift to them?

Taj Jackson: I'm sure someone has told them all of this, but I would never have that conversation with them. I'm focused on their health and happiness. It is my job to make sure that they become something my uncle would be proud of.

My brothers and I have gladly put our music career on hold for over 2 years in order to make sure my Grandma and our 3 cousins were doing okay. That is our number one priority. And it's the least we can do considering everything our uncle did for us.

MJJC: Every new venture bring forth to capitalize on MJ's fame, arts, notoriety, not sanctioned by the MJ estate, is by definition, undermining MJ's wishes and taking money from his rightful heirs. Why are the children used in projects which are against the MJ estate's interest and so in effect against the children's long-term interest? Two examples - GLE tribute which appeared to ignore the Estate completely in their planning for the concert and tried to embarrass the executors and MJ himself by offering $100K to MJ's children who have been provided with untold wealth from their father, also public involvement of the children in the Heal the world foundation which is in a costly and lengthy lawsuit with MJ estate. Do you think it is fair or ethical to use these young children in that way? Do you understand how it is viewed from the outside that the children are being asked to endorse products that go directly against MJ's wishes in establishing an estate for them?

Taj Jackson: This is another family vs estate debate…. so I think I'll pass on this one :-)

MJJC: Do you understand the concern fans have over the people (such as Dieter Weisner, Marc Schaffel, Melissa Johnson, Howard Mann aka Henry Vaccaro aka Vintage Pop) that had fall outs with MJ being in business with both your grandparents now? Anything you want to tell us about this?

Taj Jackson: That's a very interesting concern… but going by those rules, there would definitely have been no "This is It" movie or soundtrack, or "Michael" album, or "MJ" Julien auction either.

MJJC: Are people, outside or inside of the family, taking advantage of your grandmother? Many fans believe Katherine Jackson is used as a front because fans love her & respect MJ's deep affection for her. But many fans have woken up to the game being played, and the GLE revolt has shown that. Is it now clear to the family, that most fans will not blindly support a questionable venture, just because Katherine Jackson or MJ's kids are used as the selling point?

Taj Jackson: Is this a question or a statement? Not sure. But I will still try and answer it. :-)

People will believe what they want to believe. People will support what they want to support. People will think what they want to think. I always try and do my best to keep an open mind and see both sides of the story.

MJJC: Do you think Michael would be happy with the various book releases, merchandising deals and tributes that the Jackson family has endorsed in the last twelve months? What's your response to those who claim that the family have been cashing in on Michael's passing?

Taj Jackson: This question reminds me of when my brothers and I first started promoting 3T back in the day. All the French promo posters and billboards said "Nephews of Michael Jackson". The next time I saw my uncle I started to apologize to him about this. I started to tell him that we didn't tell Sony France to put that on all the advertising. He stopped me before I could finish and I'll never forget his response, . He said, "Applehead don't ever apologize, you are my nephews, flesh and blood and I love you. You are a Jackson. Be proud and wear that name like a badge of honour. I'm counting on you guys to carry on this legacy when I'm done."

So…. my uncle Michael considered his legacy to be a piece of the Jackson legacy. For him, it had always been about the Jackson name living on. And I don't believe family can "cash in" on their own name.

MJJC: Even before your uncle was officially declared dead on 25th June, your family through its spokesman, Oxman, and various family members since, has made the serious allegation to the media that Michael Jackson's problem with overmedication was so bad that you as a family were attempting interventions. Can you clear up this confusion with fans as it severely impacts on MJ's reputation, especially as a father?

Taj Jackson: If someone goes out and speaks on your behalf without your agreement or knowledge, does that make him your spokesman? Brian Oxman is not the family spokesman and he definitely does not speak for the entire family or me.

MJJC: About Cascio Tracks: How can you be so sure that the voice in the tracks is not real? Do you have any evidence to support that besides your own ears? Did you guys seek out experts to analyze the tape and having forensic evidence? If you believe the tracks were fake, why did you not take legal action? Did you talk to Eddie Cascio or any member of the Cascio family about the tracks before or after the album fiasco? Do you tried to reach out each other and hear both sides of opinion and tried to sort thing out? Why did you feel you had to involve the public by bringing the fight on twitter? Do you take some responsibility for the major division this has created within the fan community? Do you reckon, some will forever question the veracity of every new project?

Taj Jackson: That's a very sore subject, the Cascio Tracks. But just know, A LOT went on behind the scenes before things went public and plenty of time before the "Michael" tracklist was even finalized. I really shouldn't say any more otherwise I might say things I'll later regret. :-)

MJJC: You have tweeted that Michael's fans don't understand and that we only know part of the story. We can understand how that must be frustrating, equally from Michael's fan base perspective it is also frustrating when we reach out to the family and don't get any feedback. The fans look to the family for support and answers to various questions, but it appears there is not if much if any response from the family. What can the family and the fans do to correct the breakdown in communication'? Would the family be willing to establish an official line of communication and if so, what method of communication would the family be comfortable with? It would be great to see a dialogue between the fans and family.

Taj Jackson: That's a tough situation. I'm not sure anyone in our family wants to be the messenger or liaison anymore. People always want to blame or kill the messenger when something goes wrong…lol

Every problem, concern or incident would lie squarely on that person's shoulders. No thanks. As much as I would love to help with that now. I've been there… done that. That's not for me… I would rather put that energy into my uncle's mother and kids.

MJJC: Did MJ ever record his own solo version of Why? If he did, what can you tell us about Michael’s original demo for WHY? Do you think it could see a release?

Taj Jackson: No, unfortunately, it doesn't exist. There were only my uncle's backgrounds on the demo. There is a Babyface version of Why with MJ backgrounds though.

MJJC: We all know MJ was an amazing person, what do you love most about him?

Taj Jackson: His heart. Period. "Amazing person" is totally an understatement. His care for children and the world was not a gimmick, it was who he really was. If I could be a tenth of the man my uncle was, I would be happy with my life.

MJJC: What's your favourite memory of MJ?

Taj Jackson: One favourite memory is the time my brothers and I spent with him in Nagasaki, Japan. There is a Dutch Village Theme Park called Huis Ten Bosch. We had such an incredible time there and laughed so much during that trip. I am blessed and lucky to have so many great and happy memories with him. Enough memories to last a lifetime. :-)

MJJC: How was it like to work with MJ? Was MJ still being like an uncle when working or he was just pure professional?

Taj Jackson: He was absolutely a creative genius. Every time I worked on something with him, it never ever felt like work.

For example, the music video shoot for "Why". My first worry was that my uncle was playing around just a little too much…. cause he kept trying to make us laugh every time the camera was rolling. But afterwards, I understood exactly what he was doing.

I was way too serious for the video, thinking in my head…this is a music video with Michael Jackson…

But that was never the relationship we had with our uncle. Our relationship with him was filled with love, fun, respect and mutual admiration. And the video at the end of the day captured that perfectly.

MJJC: What is the single most important advice MJ had given you or your brothers, and you would like to share with his own kids?

Taj Jackson: We have shared almost everything my uncle has ever said or taught us with his own kids.

The single most important advice he has ever given me is to truly believe in my dreams. Also to be appreciative of and grateful for what I have and always give back to the world…to those less fortunate… and stand up for those without a voice.